Revolution of Ice & Thorns: Year Five
by Miaka Sukunami
Summary: It's been twenty-three years since the defeat of Voldemort. The Wizarding World may be in peril once again. Will the new generation at Hogwarts be up for the challenge? Will Rose and Scorpius overcome their past to brave the future? R & R to find out!
1. PROLOGUE

_Harry Potter and related content belongs to J.K Rowling. I own nothing except for any new characters that my creative little mind comes up with and Romulus the Labrador!_

**REVOLUTION OF ICE & THORNS: YEAR FIVE**

_So you say you want a revolution? Well we all want to change the world…_

**PROLOGUE**

_September 1st 2017 – King's Cross Station_

The crisp autumn air felt cool against Albus Potter's face while he leaned out of the window watching his father walk alongside the Hogwarts Express. The scarlet train was already beginning to pick up speed. He gave the elder Potter a final wave just as the train disappeared around the bend leaving platform nine and three quarters behind. With a sigh the young raven-haired boy pulled away from the window, and turned to his cousin.

"Come on, Rosie." he said. "We should go find Alice. We promised to meet her on the train"

Rose nodded and the pair made their way down the busy corridor of the train hoping to find their friend. Albus lead their search passed several occupied compartments when the Express lurched on a turn. Rose lost her balance with the sudden movement made at the exact same moment that a familiar head of platinum-blond hair emerged from a nearby compartment.

Expecting the hard floor, Rose squeezed her blue eyes shut bracing herself for the fall—only it never came. She fell onto something soft, warm, and distinctly human.

She opened her eyes slowly, her lips forming a small 'o' of surprise when she realized what had happened. A boy had broken her fall. Rose looked up to meet the gray eyes of her savior and her cheeks flushed a very Weasley-ish shade of pink in embarrassment as he steadied her. When their eyes met for a fraction of a second, Malfoy shared the same look of surprise before a mask of indifference fell into place. Of course it had to be him— the Malfoy boy. She could remember her father pointing him and his parents out on the platform. Malfoy was taller than her by a few inches, perhaps about as tall as Albus and just as lanky. He wore his Hogwarts robes neatly pressed and platinum hair slicked back with not a strand out of place. Perfect.

"Are you ok?" he asked after a moment of awkward silence.

"Yes, thank you" she said, "I… I'm sorry about that—"

He took a step back and waved his hand dismissively, interrupting her apology, "No harm done."

The sound of a door sliding open drew their attention, and another head of pale blond hair poked out of a compartment behind him.

Rose could see a resemblance between the two boys, cousins perhaps.

"Scorpius, there you are, cousin!"

Scorpius rolled his eyes at the newcomer. "I'll be right there, Damian."

"Get a move on then. We don't have all day you know."

Scorpius nodded to the other boy and Damian disappeared into the compartment again.

"See you around, Weasley." He said, sparing the red head a final glance.

Before she could reply, Albus, who had been completely ignored in the exchange, grabbed her hand and started tugging her in the opposite direction. A moment later, Rose heard the compartment door shut behind them. Scorpius Malfoy was gone.

"Come on, Rose!" Albus hissed.

Still rather stunned, Rose allowed Albus to lead her half-way down the corridor before snapping out of her reverie.

"Al..." Rose said tugging on the sleeve of her cousin's robes. "Slow down!"

Satisfied that they were alone again, Albus sighed and let go. They fell into step together, walking in subdued silence while searching several more compartments until they found Alice. She was sitting alone in one of the last compartments of the train, waiting for them. Alice is a pretty girl, with wavy caramel-colored hair, hazel eyes, and a pale cherub's face. Albus and Rose have known Alice Longbottom since they were all in diapers.

"It's about time you two got here!" she said as Rose dropped down into the seat across from her. "What took you so long?"

Alice's bright smile lit up her face. She was happy to see her best friends; however she hadn't quite picked up on their tense mood. Albus stepped into the compartment and slid the door shut behind him before he joined Rose on the cushioned seat.

"What was that all about?" Albus burst out suddenly, frowning at Rose.

"What?" Rose asked.

"You were nice to…Malfoy."

"So?" Rose replied raising an eyebrow at him.

"Wait," Alice interrupted, "what happened?"

"Rose had a klutz attack in front of Malfoy just now." Albus explained.

"I did not have a klutz attack! I don't have klutz attacks." Rose said indignantly, crossing her arms.

Alice laughed, "I thought I was the klutz."

She rolled her eyes at Albus and went on to relay the whole story, "the train jerked around a bit when it rounded the bend and I stumbled…right into him."

"You were blushing" Albus pointed out.

"So, you stumbled into Malfoy and …" Alice asked.

"Yeah," Rose replied with a shrug. "And he was actually pretty decent about it."

Albus made a face and scoffed, "sure he was."

"I don't see what the big deal is," Alice cut in. "So what if they bumped into each other?"

"You should have seen it, Alice. She was blushing and acting all sorts of ridiculous."

"You've said that already." Alice reminded him wryly. She was clearly amused by this story.

"It's called being embarrassed. I didn't know that having good manners is supposed to be ridiculous. I was only being polite, Al" Rose said frowning at him.

"Don't mind him, Rose. He's the one that's being ridiculous. All boys are quite capable of being complete prats when they want to be."

"I am not being ridiculous!" he said defensively. It was Albus' turn for a little indignation. "The Malfoys are nothing but trouble, and what did he mean by, 'see you around, Weasley' anyway. That sounded pretty ominous to me."

"We go to the same school. Obviously, he just meant what he said; that he'd 'see me around.' I really don't see why you are all worked up about this."

Irritation was seeping into Rose's tone, clearly indicating that she'd had enough of the subject. She had heard all of the same stories about the Malfoys that Albus had; about the Malfoy's part in the war, the rivalry between their families, and the countless reasons as to why they were no good.

It seemed like the entire Potter-Weasley family had something to say about Malfoys and Slytherins in general. Somehow, Rose still didn't see what all the fuss was about. This boy, though he looked enough like his father, was definitely not the same person. Rose was not going judge him because of his father's past. It was in her nature to give people the benefit of a doubt, and besides, she was too stubborn to let anyone else make up her mind for her. Albus' close-mindedness was grating on her nerves.

Thankfully, Albus had caught on to the change in her tone, and tactfully changed the subject. From then on the three children chattered excitedly about Hogwarts and all of their expectations. Within minutes Rose had forgotten all about her irritation with Albus. There would be so much to learn at Hogwarts; countless spells, potions, charms, and all kinds of magical creatures. Oh and the books! Hogwarts housed the largest collection of books that Rose could ever imagine in their library.

The conversation carried on well through into the day, and at some point during the ride an old witch with a tea trolley came with various treats. The kids purchased some pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs for lunch. Not long after they'd had their fill of sweets night fell and it started to rain. The occupants of the train grew more subdued, speaking in hushed voices or dozing off as the pitter patter of rain lulled them to sleep.

Rose was only abstractly listening to Albus and Alice as they talked about magical creatures that could be found in the forbidden forest and the deep waters of the lake. She caught only bits about over grown spiders and mermaids before completely tuning them out. While she watched the passing scenery and the storm brewing outside of her window, her mind was already thinking ahead to the sorting ceremony that awaited them. There was very little time before they would arrive at Hogwarts and then they would be sorted into one of the four founding houses of the school. This would be one of the most defining moments in their lives, because for the next seven years they would have to live with whatever house they were sorted into and their would-be house mates.

The sorting ceremony was something that Rose thought about ever since receiving her acceptance letter. She had done her research about the founders, asked her mother about what the sorting had been like when she'd been sorted in her first year, and it all came back to one conclusion. Every Weasley since as far back as anyone could remember had been sorted into Gryffindor, and that was where she wanted to be. No amount of research was going to change that. And yet—Rose couldn't help but notice how easily she could fit in Ravenclaw. A seed of doubt, the tiniest fear that she would be the only one in her family to be sorted outside of Gryffindor, was planted in her mind. She would be the odd one out, an outcast in her family.

Her father's words before boarding the Express were really starting to hit home. The whole thing was just so absurd. He had only been teasing, Rose knew. Her family would love her no matter what. The fears she harbored were quite unfounded. The desire to belong, however, was far stronger than any other especially for an eleven year old.

When Rose shared these fears with her mother, it only made her feel monumentally worse. Her mother, much to her dismay, had been enthusiastic about the idea of a Ravenclaw in the family. Hermione Weasley didn't see anything wrong with her daughter being sorted into a different house. In fact, she thought it was a good possibility that Rose would find a better fit with the Ravenclaws. Rose didn't think so, and it was after having this particular conversation that she decided against talking about it with anyone else.

When the train pulled into Hogsmeade station it was still raining. The children walked out into a light drizzle and got soaked in a matter of minutes. Several large, black carriages awaited the older students, while an extraordinarily large figure with a graying beard called to the first years. They could see his bright candle-lit lamp and converged on him immediately, staying huddled together for warmth.

Rubeus Hagrid, the Care of Magical Creatures professor, towered over the group as he herded them underneath an enormous umbrella, toward a small pier with about a dozen little boats. With the rain baring down on them the professor wasted no time in putting them into groups of four per boat. He picked out Rose, Alice, and Albus out of the flock right away.

Beaming, he waved at them. "All right there, Albus? Rosie? Alice?"

"Hi, Hagrid," Albus called, smiling up at the half giant.

"Hullo!" Rose and Alice chimed in together. The girls were beaming as well.

At last all of the children were sorted into their boats. Rose's little party of three and a boy named Seeley Brennan shared a boat together; while Hagrid, being so large, had one all to himself. As if by magic, the little boats took off across the lake all at once. The one lamp led the way through the dark and rainy night. Everyone was too excited to even worry about being drenched in the rain and the misty fog that fell over them. They drifted almost lazily along what looked like a rather ghostly lake given the current weather.

It wasn't till after they passed underneath the cave of a waterfall that a massive structure loomed over them from the hillside, a castle with its many turrets and towers hidden here from most of the world. The amazement of the students could be heard in earnest as their boat ride came to an end at another small pier at the base of the castle grounds. The children climbed out of the boats and were all accounted for before following Hagrid up to the castle entrance. They hurried up the stone steps eager to get out of the rain and even more so to explore the castle.

Hagrid went ahead making their arrival known with three loud, resounding knocks on the castle's immense oak doors. They opened with a creak and a shudder revealing a tall, young looking witch. Though she was young, she was clearly past the age of a Hogwarts student. She wore crisp, olivine colored robes, and her long hair fell loosely around her shoulders in golden waves. There was a soft expression in her blue eyes as her gaze fell upon the newest batch of Hogwarts students.

"Evening, Hagrid," she called to the larger man. The woman spoke with a strong authoritative cadence tempered by a faint Scottish lilt.

"Evening, Professor Braley," Hagrid said in return, "Horrible weather out there tonight. Better get these little ones inside."

"Yes, thank you, Hagrid. I'll take it from here."

"Come on inside children," she said, "This way, please. Let's get all of you dried up first."

She performed a drying spell as each child passed through the entrance. It was an instant relief from the wet clothes that clung to their bodies. After each child was cared for, Professor Braley, lead the way to a small antechamber adjoining the Great Hall.

"Welcome to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry." she announced. Braley had the sort of presence that commanded the attention of a room with just a look.

"I am Professor Braley. I will be your Defense against the Dark Arts teacher here at Hogwarts." she went on. "In a moment we will be entering the Great Hall to proceed with the house sorting ceremony. Some of you may already be aware that we have four founding houses to which you will all be sorted. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. The house you are sorted into will be your home, and your housemates will be your family for the duration of your stay here. As a family, you will share in your triumphs and earn house points. By the same token, any rule breaking will result in the loss of said points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points will be awarded the House Cup, which is a tremendous honor. The ceremony should be about to start. If everyone will excuse me for just a moment, I shall be right back once we are ready for you."

Professor Braley disappeared through the doors they had come in and excitement erupted among the waiting first years.

"What house do you think we'll be sorted into?" Alice asked curiously.

"I'm not sure. . ." Albus replied. He sounded a little anxious though he kept his reservations to himself.

"This is a little nerve wracking . . . the not knowing." Rose admitted while sneaking a glance at a Malfoy who was nearby.

Scorpius met her gaze making Rose shy away before anyone else noticed.

"You two need to relax." Alice admonished looking amused, taking Rose's discomfort as nervousness rather than embarrassment.

The buzz of excitement died down as soon as the young professor stepped back into the antechamber. She organized them into two straight lines and led them out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall. The ceremony was about to start, and Rose stood behind Alice in line thinking that the wait and 'not knowing' was more than just a little nerve wracking—it was downright terrifying.

The change in atmosphere was instantaneous. The noise in the Great Hall fell to a whisper as all attention was given to the first years being marched into the middle of the cavernous room. It was truly a place of wonder, lit by thousands upon thousands of candles that floated over four long tables where the rest of the students were sitting. Awe spread over the cluster of young students as they looked up and noticed the enchanted ceiling of the Great Hall for the first time. It was currently reflecting the ominous weather outside with lightning streaking sporadically through the evening sky.

The children stood mesmerized by the sight until Professor Braley called their attention to a stool set in front of them. On top of the stool was a peculiar-looking, pointed wizard's hat. The hat was patched, frayed, and looked extremely ancient. There did not seem to be anything extraordinary about it until a seam ripped open like a mouth and the hat began to sing. It wove it's tale in rhyme, telling of the four Hogwarts houses, and of the unique qualities that the founders valued in their students.

With the hat's song sung, the entire hall erupted into a round of applause. Braley waited a moment while everyone settled down and began to unravel a long roll of parchment.

"Alright, as I call each of your names you will take a seat on the stool and put the Sorting Hat on your head. Once the hat has made a decision, you may join your peers at the appropriate table." she said.

"Alderton, Sharon!"

A wiry brunette girl standing three behind Rose, turned pale white, before rushing forward to the stool. She put the hat on her head and took a seat. There was only a very short pause and then—

"HUFFLEPUFF!" proclaimed the hat.

A cheer rose from the table closest to the door on the right as they welcomed Sharon into their midst.

"Baddock, Rodney!"

A boy stepped out of line and strode right up to the stool. He didn't look quite as nervous as the other children when Braley placed the hat on his head.

"SLYTHERIN!" the hat belted out at once.

The second table from the right stood this time, greeting their new house mate with woops and cheers.

Next, a pair of twin boys, Aiden and Austen Boot, joined the second table from the left. They were the first to be sorted into Ravenclaw.

The Slytherin table welcomed another student, a girl this time. Professor Braley was positively beaming as Mackenzie Braley, a girl with blond curls, pretty blue eyes, and a striking resemblance to the professor stepped out of line to be sorted. They both seemed to be pleased by the sorting hat's choice.

A boy by the name of Seeley Brennan was the first to be sorted into Gryffindor. A round of cheers rose from the table on the far left as the brunette went to sit with them. From where she stood, Rose could see her cousins dominating a large portion of the rowdy table.

Eric Cadwallader and Benjamin Carmichael both became Ravenclaws followed by a Miles Cattermole who was sorted into Hufflepuff.

The C's continued with Johanna Cauldwell, who was sorted into Hufflepuff, Paige Corner, who was sorted into Slytherin, Delia Creevey who was sorted into Gryffindor, and finally Danica Cresswell, sorted into Ravenclaw.

This was barely the tip of the iceberg, there were several students left to be sorted before getting to Longbottom, Potter, and Weasley.

"Davies, Tyler!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

"Entwhistle, Leonora," another Ravenclaw.

"Finnigan, Teague!"

Rose and Albus both recognized the sandy-haired, freckle faced boy that stepped forward this time. Teague's parents had been in the same house and year with their own parents. He grinned at them as he marched forward to put the hat on his head.

There was only a few seconds of deliberation before the hat bellowed, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Flanagan, Payton!"

"SLYTHERIN!"

"Fortescue, Naomi!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

The names continued as Naomi joined her brother Andrew at Gryffindor table.

"Hayes, Jessica!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

Logan Kirke was sorted into Gryffindor and then they'd come to the L's.

Professor Braley called for Alice. For a whole minute she stood in frozen until Rose nudged her forward.

"Longbotton, Alice!" the professor repeated when Alice hadn't immediately come forward.

And poor Alice nervously walked up to the stool and tried on the hat. It was on her head for barely a second or two before it announced, "GRYFFINDOR!" Grinning happily she tore off the pointed hat and hurried off to join the Weasleys.

After Alice, a Hufflepuff, Ephraim Macmillan was sorted.

Then Scorpius Malfoy, the boy who'd saved Rose from a fall, was next. He strode confidently up to the stool and the hat was bellowing, "SLYTHERIN!" when it'd just barely touched his blond head. As soon as the hat made its proclamation, Malfoy went to join the other blond, his cousin Damian, at their table.

Albus turned to Rose giving her a smug 'I told you so.' look. Rose frowned at him and turned away to watch as Angela McKenna was sorted into Ravenclaw. Dylan Montague joined Malfoy's group at the Slytherin's table followed by Keely Moore who went to sit with Angela and the other Ravenclaws

Another pair of dark-haired twins, Druce and Dympna O'Shea, filled the ranks in Slytherin.

And then—

"Potter, Albus!"

Professor Braley had called his name and Rose wished him luck as he gathered all of his nerve and went off to try on the hat. Albus looked so anxious sitting there on the stool with the attention of the entire hall upon him. During the long pause as the sorting deliberated, it seemed like everyone was waiting with baited breath to see where the sorting hat would place Harry Potter's second son.

Finally after what seemed like ages, the sorting hat shouted its verdict "GRYFFINDOR!"

The loudest cheers of all came from the Gryffindor table as they welcomed another Potter. James and the rest of the Weasleys made so much noise with their congratulations that it carried over the loudest of cheers. A look of pure relief washed over Albus' features as James, and his friend Wesley Wood made room for him to sit between them.

Once the Gryffindors had settled down, June Riggio was sorted into Slytherin; then a third set of twins, which was a rarity to see within the same term, were sorted. Emmett and Jillian Robards became the next Gryffindors.

There were only a handful of students left to be sorted after the Robards twins. Aimee Summerby became a Hufflepuff and Rose knew it would be her turn next. The professor did not disappoint.

"Weasley, Rose!"

Rose took a deep breath and exhaled before she started toward the stool. With each step she took, the Sorting Hat seemed to be farther and farther away. It was only her mind playing tricks on her of course. The stool was no farther away than it had been before. With a second deep breath and another few steps, Rose was finally situated on the stool with the hat on her head.

"What's this? They've sent me another Weasley, eh? Oh, but you are a rare one aren't you? Not like the rest of your lot. Talent, potential, and intelligence such as yours belong in Raven—"

"No! Oh no please not Ravenclaw! I don't belong there!" she whispered urgently to the hat, looking distressed and squirming in her seat.

"Such a pity, Ravenclaw seems like a much better fit. Oh well, off you go with yours" the Hat relented, "GRYFFINDOR!"

"Thanks!" Rose said sounding relieved.

Yanking the hat off her head she grinned at her family as the whole of Gryffindor house greeted her with another round of enthusiastic cheer. Rose hurried over to them and was immediately in the arms of her cousin Louis. He lifted her off her feet with a hug and spun her around. "Well done!" he said as he set her back down.

"Well done, Rose!" added her cousin Victoire with a proud smile and a hug. None of them could stop smiling as they made room for her at the table between Alice and Rose's cousin, Molly. The three girls were sitting across from Albus and James.

There were only two more left to be sorted after Rose. Lewis Whitby became a Hufflepuff and the ceremony concluded with Scarlet Zabini being sorted into Slytherin. With all of the first years in their place, Professor Braley removed the stool and hat from the hall and joined the rest of the professors at the staff table taking her place beside the Headmaster.

The Headmaster, thickset old man stood from his seat at the staff table. He was very clean cut; dressed in pressed navy robes, his snowy white hair combed back and neatly trimmed. The man had a kind face and wise green eyes. He straightened to his full height, which wasn't very impressive at all, and smiled as he addressed the student body as a whole.

"Welcome! Welcome everyone to the start of a new term!" He greeted to a round of cheers.

There was a pause before the hall was silent again. "As most of you already know, I am Headmaster Gerard Talbot. Before the feast is under way, I would just like to say that I'm very happy to see all of you back and ready for a new year of learning. We will have a few important issues to address before I send you all off to bed but for now everyone tuck in and enjoy the feast!"

Everyone was clapping and cheering as the Headmaster took his seat again. The feast had begun. Suddenly, magically, all of the dishes in front of them were filled with various types of hot, tasty food and every goblet was filled to the brim with chilled pumpkin juice. Platters of roast beef, roast chicken and thick stews among other things were laid out for the students to choose from.

The students tucked into their meals eagerly. Despite how much she enjoyed her grandmother's cooking, Rose found her first meal at Hogwarts was the best she'd ever tasted. Perhaps it was because she was famished after such a long train ride, or maybe she was just pleased to be sitting with her family for the meal. But in any case, Rose Weasley was thoroughly enjoying herself; eating, drinking, talking, and laughing with everyone else. As Rose took a sip from her goblet of pumpkin juice she couldn't help the overwhelming sense of warmth and belonging that being among friends and family provided.

Once everyone ate their fill and then some, the remains of the meal disappeared leaving the dishes sparkling clean again just in time for all the wonderful desserts that appeared only moments later. Ice cream in every imaginable flavor, pies, tarts, cakes, doughnuts, and various puddings. . .

Rose indulged in a bowl of strawberry ice cream topped with whipped cream and chopped nuts while she listened in on some of the conversation going on around her. The first years were all asking dozens of questions about the castle and lessons. Some even inquired about the professors sitting up at the staff table. Alice was quite happy to announce that her father was Professor Neville Longbottom, the Herbology teacher and head of Gryffindor. Many of the older students liked him. Surprisingly enough, Professor Braley was also quite popular among the Gryffindors. They didn't seem to mind that she was the head of Slytherin because they all enjoyed her Defense against the Dark Arts lessons.

Rose had just finished her last spoonful of strawberry ice cream when the desserts disappeared and Professor Talbot stood once again. The lively chatter quieted instantly as everyone gave him their undivided attention "Ahem— before we're all off to our warm beds I have a few important announcements to make. First and foremost, venturing out into the forest is forbidden to all students as it is very unwise and unsafe to do so. I must also remind you that Students are not permitted to use magic in the corridors between classes. There is a list of items that are banned from the school premises. This list is located on the office door of the school caretaker, Mr. Algernon Badden.

"We will be holding Quidditch trials on the second week of term for those of you interested in playing for your house teams. Please feel free to contact Professor Wood during that week.

"And finally, I would like to remind all fifth and seventh years that you will be having your O.W.L and N.E.W.T examinations toward the end of this term. Please study hard, be productive, and as always stay alert with ready minds. Thank you everyone and now it's time for bed for you all. Off you go! Sleep well!"

With the headmaster's dismissal the prefects took this as their cue to gather the younger students and steer them to their respective common rooms. Victoire, who had been made Head Girl, lead them out of the Great Hall and up the marble staircase. The first years shuffled after her sleepily barely paying attention to her warning that the stairs tended to have a mind of their own and moved at the most unexpected and inopportune moments.

Rose was distracted by the Slytherins which were led in the opposite direction. She watched as Scorpius Malfoy's familiar blond head disappeared behind a tapestry that looked like it was hiding a flight of stairs that went further down into the bowels of the school. Rose sighed. Was she really supposed to believe that Malfoy was such an awful person just because his father and grandfather had been, or because he was a Slytherin? He seemed innocent enough.

She stifled a yawn and put the thoughts out of her mind. Rose had already promised herself that she'd give this boy the benefit of a doubt. At any rate, she wasn't out to make enemies at Hogwarts. Rose wanted to make friends. She wanted to learn and make the best of her experiences at the Wizarding School.

Through hidden panels and doorways, past elaborate tapestries and up several more flights of stairs, the Gryffindors followed Victoire Weasley until they arrived on the seventh floor and trooped toward the end of the corridor. At last they came to a stop, crowding around a portrait containing a rather portly woman wearing a frilly pink silk dress. The fat lady appeared to be enjoying a tea party with three other women who barely fit in the frame with her.

"Password?" the woman inquired rather peevishly since they had disrupted her party.

"Icarus," Victoire stated clearly.

Grudgingly, the portrait of the Fat Lady swung forward revealing the large round hole in the wall that was the entrance to the common room. Everyone hurried through, some eager to get to bed, others curious to see the room inside.

The common room was a very warm and pleasant place. A crackling fire in the old fireplace kept the room at a comfortable temperature and there were many red, cushioned armchairs spread out strategically throughout the circular space.

The older kids already knew where they were going so they went on straight to their dorms. Victoire waited till they were all gone before she cleared her throat to get the first year's attention.

"Alright, if I could have everyone's attention for a moment, please. I know everyone is exhausted and ready for bed, so I'll make this short." said Victoire. "The girls dormitories are through the door on your left, the boys are on the right.

"Please remember that this week's password is 'Icarus'. The password will change every week and you will need to remember it to be admitted into the common room. The Fat Lady in the portrait will not let you through otherwise. If at any time you are in need of assistance please see our head of house, Professor Longbottom, or myself, Victoire Weasley. Does anyone have questions?"

A few scattered yawns were the only response, so Victoire sent everyone off to bed. Rose bid her cousins good night and followed Alice through the door to their dormitories.

The door on the left opened to a spiral staircase that seemed to go up and up for ages. The girls clambered all the way up to the very top—the top of a tower or so it seemed—where they finally got to their very comfortable four-poster beds, decked with red velvet curtains and red blankets. There were five beds, one for each of the newly sorted first years and they found that their trunks had already been delivered and each one set in front of a bed. Rose could easily pick out which space would be hers, her trunk with the pretty rose designs carved into the wood was set in front of the bed closest to door.

The girls all started to get settled for the night. Rose changed into her pajamas and started rummaging through her trunk until she unearthed her brand new, black, leather-bound journal. It was a gift her mother gave her the day they'd gone shopping for school supplies in Diagon Alley. They had even gotten the journal engraved with Rose's name in gold letters.

With her journal, some color-changing ink, and a quill, Rose settled into bed with her supplies and pulled the hangings around the four-poster bed for some privacy. It took her a moment to gather her thoughts and then she began to write the first entry . . .

_1, September 2017_

_William Shakespeare once wrote: "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet," but today I've learned that a name means everything. A name holds a tremendous amount of weight in our society even for someone as young as I am. My name is Rose Weasley. I am eleven years old and this is my first year at Hogwarts. Tonight is the first night I have ever spent away from home. Yesterday, at home, I was just Rose Jean Weasley, but tonight I am also a half-blood, a first year, and a Gryffindor. Personally I do not care for these labels. What I do covet is the acceptance that comes along with each title. Everyone craves acceptance, and I am no exception to that rule. How different things could be if I were anyone else? Would my family and friends still accept me? I wonder... but no matter how many names or labels may be attached to me I will always be the same person. I'm just a girl; just Rose. I am right where I'm supposed to be._

_Today, I met a boy. They tell me he is bad because he is a Malfoy. Again, is his name supposed to define him? I don't know, but I intend to find out. I am always curious._

RJW

Satisfied with her entry, Rose let the ink dry and got out of bed to put her things away; the ink and quill back into her trunk, and her journal safely tucked between the bed mattresses. Life was going to be different from now on. She could feel it. But at least tonight everything was as it should be. Rose was exactly where she wanted to be. Smiling to herself she got back into bed and blew out the last candle.

**Note from the Author** –

_**Revolution of Ice & Thorns**_ is a re-named and modified version of my story **Hogwarts Revolutions: Year Five. **There have been a few edits (though very small and probably will go unnoticed in the prologue) Let me know what you all think also if you think I should continue with this story. I love comments and constructive criticism!

Also I've been reading a lot of fan fiction written by in..bathrobe and she has a really fun thing she does with her author's notes where she asks a question related to the chapter. I really like that idea so I think I will try it out. Thank you for your amazing stories and ideas in..bathrobe! Your Twilight fan fics are amazing! All credit for this "Question of the Chapter" idea goes to her.

_What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?_


	2. DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

_Harry Potter and related content belongs to J.K Rowling. I own nothing except for any __**new**__ characters that my creative little mind comes up with and Romulus the Labrador!_

**DOG DAYS OF SUMMER**

_**Rose**_

_July 2021 – London to Ottery St. Catchpole_

The weather in London is usually quite predictable. It either rains enough to flood, or it doesn't rain at all. The resulting wave of heat dries up the land causing a drought for weeks until the next rain fall. When the summer months are gone, and it's too cold to rain; then it snows. I mean, it really snows. The entire city is blanketed in layer after layer of thick, puffy, white. London's weather is always at an extreme. There is never a middle ground, but it is still as predictable as the seasons changing.

I love living in London. I love the warmth of the hot sun on my skin, the smell of fresh rain fall in the spring, the coming of snow in the winter, and especially the bright city lights in the evening. London is home. Well, except of course, for the couple of weeks each summer that the entire family spends together at my grandparents' house in Ottery St. Catchpole. I also spend another part of the year away at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

When I was a kid, I used to look forward to the weeks spent at the Burrow—that's what everyone calls my grandparents' old place—but now I think I've out grown the whole appeal of big family get-togethers. In the past couple of years things just haven't been the same. There aren't as many of us cousins upholding the family tradition anymore. Most of them are old enough now that they have far more pressing engagements, which clearly are more important than spending time with those of us who are too young to have any real lives of our own.

Victoire, the eldest of us Weasleys grandchildren, is busy planning for her wedding to Teddy Lupin. Just last year, she accepted the position of school nurse at Hogwarts. Her sister, Dominique, will be joining the Hogwarts staff this year too—as our new Care of Magical Creatures Professor. She'd been so ecstatic when the Headmistress offered her the post that she didn't think twice before accepting. Fred and Louis are going into their seventh and final year of school. Fred took a summer job at Uncle George's joke shop, Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. It seems like he's found his own little niche in the business and he enjoys working at the shop a great deal. Louis is currently enjoying his summer holidays by spending some time in France with his other grandparents, the Delacours. He alternates between both sets of grandparents every summer. All in all, everyone seems pretty preoccupied.

As for me, I would be arriving in Ottery St. Catchpole in rather poor spirits this weekend. I wasn't looking forward to three weeks of pure, unadulterated boredom. I dreaded being cooped up at my grandparents' house in the country side more than anything else. There would be only two others along with Hugo and myself this year: my cousins, Molly and Lucy. We would all have to do without the modern 21st century comforts of home, the Muggle things we'd grown accustomed to like: our television sets, stereo systems, and video games. The closest thing to any modern living we would have is an ancient radio that is magically tuned in to the Wizarding Wireless Network. The thing is always on the same station— the one that plays my grandmother's favorite oldies music by Celestina Warbeck.

You see, much like my grandparents themselves, the Burrow is very old fashioned. Absolutely everything in the old house is run by magic which generally causes the failure of any electronic device in the vicinity. Fortunately, I'd had enough sense to pack some of my books to keep me entertained even though I was fairly certain I had not brought enough reading material with me to last the duration of our stay. It goes without saying that the older generations of wizards are rather inept when it comes to Muggle technology. They just have no idea what to do with it.

The drive to Devon in my father's non-descript black Ministry car was going to be a long one. So quiet and uneventful that it felt almost like we were driving to a funeral. Actually, it was starting to feel positively morose. My brother, Hugo, the tall, gangly, brown-haired boy in the back seat with me, was staring out the window brooding. He was sulking because, like me, he did not want to spend the holidays at the Burrow. His jaw was set in a familiar expression, the same expression my father has been wearing since we left the house.

My dad is Ron Weasley. He is an Auror for the Ministry's department of Magical Law. He is quite good at what he does. He keeps the Wizarding community safe. Hugo takes after our father. Except that he has thick, wavy, brown hair and brown eyes which he inherited from Mum. Dad has vibrant red hair and blue eyes like mine. They say that I look like my mother despite the fact that I inherited my father's eyes and hair color. Personally, I think I have too much of my father in me to be anywhere nearly as pretty as she is. Don't get me wrong, I do have some self confidence. I'm pretty, I suppose, in a very ordinary way. My blue eyes and long copper hair are probably my best features. I've got freckles on my cheeks which some might find endearing, full pouty lips, long legs, and my body has a few curves in the right places.

The one thing that my family does have in common is that we're all incredibly stubborn. My parents had yet another argument today before leaving the house, so naturally the atmosphere is tense. There had been a lot of them lately, the arguments. These arguments come more frequently than ever now coinciding with my mother's election into office last year, and the increasing amounts of responsibility she is assuming for the Wizarding World. My mother, Mrs. Hermione Weasley, is the esteemed Minister of Magic. It upsets me to see them arguing and the situation at home only seems to be getting worse, not better. My little brother has noticed this too even though he likes to pretend otherwise. He tries not to let it bother him but sometimes I worry that things might never get better at all.

At some point, Hugo gave up on gazing at the scenery. He adjusted himself to where he could lean against my side and promptly fell asleep. I lay my head a top his and got as comfortable as I could in the confined space. There was still a long way to go. I don't remember much of the drive after that. I must have fallen asleep too, because before I knew it we were already easing up the gravel driveway in front of my grandparents' crooked farmhouse. Half-conscious, I heard my mum call my name and then Hugo's. I stirred, lifting my head, and immediately noted the dull ache in my neck from the position I'd been napping in. Beside me, Hugo stirred as well, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

"This is it." I sighed.

"This is it," Hugo repeated, echoing the sentiment unenthusiastically.

The Burrow stood towering in front of us; as crooked and unchanging as ever. Hugo threw open the door and stepped out into the warm sunlight after our parents. I followed him and stretched, rubbing the back of my neck as I did so. Stretching felt good after sitting in the car for so many hours. I was glad to be out of the cramped back seat.

I start up the cobblestone path toward the house and can hear loud barking coming from somewhere in the yard. Romulus and Artemis are here—a painful reminder that my cousins, the Potters, won't be joining us. Romulus is their year old black Labrador and Artemis is a pretty golden Lab. They're staying at The Burrow with us because the Potters are out of the country on holiday. James, Albus, and Lily would be gone for most of the summer holidays. I missed Albus already and the thought only made me more miserable. He is the only one out of all my cousins that is my age. We've always been really close. Albus and his older brother James are my best friends. Not having the boys around was going to be different.

I followed the barking to the fence that encloses the big yard and the dogs immediately bounded up to greet me. I smiled and patted Rom's head before opening the gate to let them out. The pups were eager to roam free and ran at my heels as I lead the way back to the front of the house. I could hear my grandmother asking for me when I rounded the corner.

"I'm over here, Gran," I called as soon as she came into view.

She gasped. "Is that my Rosie?"

I rolled my eyes when I thought she wasn't looking. Yes, that would be me. My name is Rose Jean Weasley.

"Let me get a good look at you," she said. "I swear you've grown several inches since I saw you last!"

"It's called puberty, Grandmum," Hugo muttered under his breath when he walked past me to get more of our things out of the trunk. No one heard him but me and I suppressed a small grin.

I knew Grandmum Molly had probably just finished gushing over Hugo in the same way. It never fails. She always comments on how thin we are, how much we've grown, or how much we've changed since the last time she saw us. All of her grandchildren expect the—'is that my, insert grandchild's name here,' followed by comments on our ever changing appearance.

She hugged me and after a moment she pulled away, holding me at arm's length for inspection. This too, I was expecting. Appraising me briefly, she smiled as if she approved of what she saw.

"You're looking a bit peaky, dear," Gran said. "Not to worry. It's nothing a nice home cooked meal won't cure."

After the customary greetings were exchanged, I went to help unload the car. We followed the adults into the house with our luggage and lingered around the foyer. Like the exterior, the inside of the house remains unchanging. The Burrow has had the same wallpaper and furniture since as far back as I can remember. The only notable changes ever made are the addition of new family photographs each year, depicting the various stages of our lives. These pictures litter the entire house, especially the mantle over the fireplace.

There's a perpetually homey feeling about the house. It is always warm, safe, and inviting. Despite the fact that I had not wanted to come to St. Catchpole this year, I was starting to think that maybe three weeks wouldn't be so bad. I could make the best of it if I tried hard enough.

Grandmum Molly was explaining that Uncle Percy would not be arriving with Molly and Lucy till the end of the week while she eyed the tight expressions on my parent's faces surreptitiously. I frowned at this. My grandmother was a lot more perceptive than I gave her credit for. I exchanged a meaningful look with Hugo, but he just shrugged in response.

"I'm going to go get settled in," I said, hoping to distract my grandmother from her scrutiny.

"Yeah, Mum," Dad began uncomfortably, seizing the moment. "Hermione and I should be going before it gets dark."

"Oh, but, you just got here! Can't you at least stay for dinner?"

Dad eyed my mother speculatively for a moment, inquiring, and she gave a tiny shake of her head. The exchange went unnoticed by grandmother.

Resigned, he shook his head. "Sorry, Mum. We really should be going. We have to return the car and all that."

"Well, alright then, if you must," Grandmum conceded, though not entirely hiding her disappointment.

She hugged him—the difference in their height looking very comical to me, and then she drew my mother into a hug too.

"I'm so sorry, Molly. I really wish we could stay ...but you know things have gotten really busy at the Ministry these days," Mum apologized.

She was even gracious enough to look apologetic. Mum was being honest—as honest as she could be at that moment. I know that she is under a lot of stress, both at work and at home. I think my grandmother sensed this as well, but she didn't comment.

"It's alright, dears. There's always next time."

"Yeah," my dad agreed. "Next time"

He patted Rom's head and then lumbered over to me, where I stood at the foot of the stairs and pulled me into a hug. "Bye, Rosie, honey. Be good."

I clung for a moment longer, standing on the tips of my toes to give him a kiss on the cheek before we both let go. He smiled briefly and turned to Hugo who looked annoyed again. The smile on my father's face faltered but he hugged him anyway.

"Bye, Daddy," I said.

"Bye," Hugo muttered under his breath.

He looked anxious to get away from hugs and attention. My mother knows him best. She just ruffled his hair and kissed his forehead—a familiar gesture that he seemed to accept more than the awkward hugs. Mom hugged me next.

"We'll be back in a week or so," she promised. "We can go shopping for that school trip then, Rose."

I nodded allowing the small burst of excitement I felt just thinking about the pending class trip. I have to admit there was at least one thing I was looking forward to this summer—the class trip Hogwarts was taking this year. It would be the very first trip the school would be taking out of the country. Since I was coming into my fifth year this term I would be able to join the sixth and seventh years to Dubai City. I'd never been out of the country before so this trip was going to be a very rare treat.

"Yeah, that sounds great, Mum."

When all of the goodbyes were said and done, my parents left. The three of us followed them out. We watched the sedan drive away until it disappeared beyond the steep hill, then Grandmum turned to us.

"Now then, let's get you two unpacked and cleaned up for dinner. Arthur will be so happy to see you when he gets home," she admonished, ushering us back inside the house.

Our luggage waited by the stairs, and I started to gather everything up hoping to make it upstairs with everything in one trip. Hugo surprised me when he picking up one of my heavier bags along with his things.

"I've got this, Rose," he said as he walked on ahead of me.

"Thanks," I called after him. He grunted in response and I chuckled as I followed him up to the landing on the second floor.

My room faces south. It's the one with the large window overlooking the orchard behind the house. It has a clear view of the trail that leads down to the river. The room is very bright and airy with walls painted a soft peach, and curtains that are just a shade or two darker framing the window. The furniture consists of two twin beds divided by a single night stand. My aunt's old desk sits underneath the window with a small bookshelf stocked with books that I've already read. I have dozens of books of both the Muggle and Wizarding kind. One entire wall of my bedroom back home is nothing but bookshelves filled with my collection of novels, spell books, and all sorts of texts.

I've shared this bedroom with my cousin Molly since we first started spending our summers here at the Burrow. Once upon a time, however, it belonged to my Uncle Charlie and then to Aunt Ginny after that. Some of Aunt Gin's old Weird Sisters and Holyhead Harpies posters are still up on the wall.

Sweet home away from home, I thought wryly as I went through the motions of unpacking.

Grandmum Molly tends to hover a lot, so I was relieved when she left us to our own devices. It was nice to finally have some me time. I was finished unpacking sooner than expected, because I hadn't brought much with me to begin with. This left me with entirely too much time on my hands—too much time to think.

I didn't want to think, but my mind ventured into dark avenues anyway; replaying the events of earlier this morning. To distract myself, I yanked a book off of the bookshelf. It was a compilation of some of Tennyson's best work. Moving onto the bed, I lay on my stomach, and started to read, losing myself in the poetry.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. Grandpa came home a few hours later and joined us for dinner. We had steak and scalloped potatoes for dinner, and apple pie for dessert. I helped with the dishes, then for lack of anything better to do—I retired to my room early for the night and picked up Tennyson again. Sleep did not come easily that night. I lay awake staring at the ceiling for about an hour before unconsciousness finally took a hold of me.

The sun rose the next morning spilling into the house. It mercilessly bathed every corner of the house with its warm rays. I groaned and tried to block out the light by pulling one of the pillows over my head. It didn't help. No matter what I did, I couldn't go back to sleep.

I knew Grandmum was already awake; the smell of the bacon, eggs, and biscuits she was making wafted upstairs from the kitchen below.

Grudgingly, I admitted defeat to the powers of nature and got out of bed, padding up the stairs to the bathroom on the third floor with my bag of toiletries. Not having to share the two bathrooms in the house with a large group of people was a definite plus. It got pretty dicey when the entire family gathered here for an extended period of time. For once I wouldn't have to rush and I allowed myself more time in the shower than I normally would have. It did wonders to improve my mood.

I was out of the shower and dressed by the time the first batch of biscuits were out of the oven. Grand mum was just setting them on the table when I came down the stairs.

"Morning, Gran."

"Morning, dear," she said, smiling as she bustled around the kitchen. "How'd you sleep?"

"I slept alright."

I walked over and kissed her cheek. "Anything I can help with?"

"Oh, no, breakfast will ready in a minute. You just sit down and help yourself to some biscuits. There is some raspberry jam in the fridge."

"Okay."

"Where's Granddad?" I wanted to know while I opened the fridge to look for the jam.

"He got called to work early this morning. There must be some very important business at the Ministry."

"I hope it's nothing too serious."

"Now don't you be worrying about any adult business. Enjoy your summer and being young while you can."

Shaking my head I decided not to press the subject and helped myself to a warm biscuit with the raspberry jam I retrieved from the fridge. As I sat at the table, watching Gran bustling around, my mind was already formulating plans for the day. A swim in the river sounded appealing, but I wanted company. Maybe Alice would spend the day with me.

I took a bite of my biscuit and was still pondering when she set a plate of eggs and bacon in front of me. I didn't bother protesting that it was entirely too much food. Grandmum has always been accustomed to the boys' hearty appetites and she insists on making sure we're all well fed, even though we're quite fine without all of the excess helpings. It's always too much food, but I've learned from my cousins' past experiences not to argue the point lest she think I have some sort of eating disorder.

I managed to polish off half of my meal with a glass of pumpkin juice and disposed of the rest when she wasn't looking. Usually I'd leave the rest to Hugo or one of the other boys but today I was on my own. Hugo was probably still in bed.

"Hey, Gran…" I asked uncertainly, dawdling as I took the dishes to the sink. I waited patiently until I was sure that I had her full attention. "Would it be okay if I spent the afternoon with Alice? I was planning to ask if she wanted to go for a swim in the river or something. Maybe she could stay here for a few days?"

She turned, smiling, one hand on her hip and a large wooden spoon in the other. "I don't see why not. As long as it's alright with Hannah and Neville, it's alright with me. Just make sure to let me know where you two will be."

"Great, I'm going to go give her a call."

By now my plans had taken full shape and were looking very promising. We'd go for a swim then go to Diagon Alley for the afternoon; get a head start on shopping for the trip to Greece and maybe even have some ice cream at Florean's. Alice would like that. Shopping and ice cream are the perfect cure for boredom—at least that's what any girl will tell you. It would certainly be better than being cooped up in the house all day.

The only phone in the house, an ancient black rotary dial telephone, is found in the living room so I excused myself to make the call. I picked up the hand set and dialed Alice's number. Someone picked up on the third ring. It was a male voice on the line.

"Hello?" It was Alice's little brother, Gil, who answered.

"Hi, Gil, It's Rose. Can I please speak to Alice?"

"Sure, I'll go get her."

I heard him pull away from the phone and call his sister's name loudly. I winced. Someone scolded him in the background and then Alice was on the line.

"Rose, hey," she said.

"Hey, Alice," I said, settling into the couch with the telephone receiver. Romulus padded into the room at that moment and climbed onto the couch. He laid his head on my lap and I petted him absently.

"How are the summer holidays treating you?"

"It's been so incredibly dull, Alice, like you wouldn't believe." I laughed. "That's why I'm calling actually. I was hoping you could hang out with me today... maybe even spend a couple of days here at the Burrow. There isn't much to do around here without Al and the others."

"Oh, that's right they went away for the holidays this year. So is it just you and Hugo?"

"Yeah they'll be gone all summer."

"Bummer. Well I'll just have to run it by Dad but he should be okay with it. I'll pack a few things and see you in say . . . about an hour?"

"That sounds great. Just don't forget your swimsuit. I want to go down to the river."

"Okay—" There was an interruption in the conversation and Alice pulled the phone away to argue with Gil. Apparently he hadn't left her side.

"Um. . ." she said after a moment. "Gil wants to know if he can come along."

"Sure, why not? I don't think Gran would mind and I'm sure Hugo would love the company."

"Alright, then I'll let Dad know and see you in an hour. Make sure the Floo Network to the Burrow is open for me."

"No problem. See you soon, Alice."

"Later, Rose."

I hung up the phone and set it back in the cradle then went upstairs to put on my swim suit. Rom tagged along as he always does when he's allowed free reign of the house. He likes to follow me or James around.

I had just finished tugging the pale green baby-doll spaghetti strap tank top I'd been wearing before over my head when Hugo poked his head into my room. He raised an eyebrow at my attire and I rolled my eyes at him.

"What?" I asked.

"Where are you off to so early in the morning? And just what exactly are you wearing?" Hugo asked in return. He was leaning against the door jamb observing me, looking like he just rolled out of bed with his hair mussed and still dressed in a t-shirt and sweats.

"_We_ are going down to the river today with Alice and Gil," I explained with my back turned to him. I adjusted the straps of the bathing suit I wore underneath my top and started pulling my hair back into a pony tail. I heard him huff and knew he was annoyed with my patronizing tone.

"It's called a tank top," I said finally answering his second question, my condescending tone still intact. "Really, you act like you've never seen one before."

"I have seen a tank top before. It's just that I haven't ever seen _you_ wearing anything like it. It's—" he said fumbling for the right word.

"Different?" I supplied offhandedly.

He shook his head. "No, it's too revealing—or something…"

"Revealing?" I looked down at myself uncomprehending, my lips drawn into a pout. The top didn't feel like a snug fit though I seem to have filled it out a bit more in the past year. That didn't mean it was revealing more than was appropriate. The neckline may have been a little lower than I was used to but not in a trashy way. It was made to wear in the summer heat.

Hugo shook his head and shrugged.

Then he smirked at me and I finally cottoned on that he was only being obnoxious, overprotective, or maybe even both. Hugo has an incredibly weird way of showing concern for me. He's always seen me in long sleeves, Daddy's old jumpers, or over-large t-shirts that I've borrowed from him or one of my cousins. They don't seem to understand that I don't want to ruin nice clothes when playing a game up pick up Quidditch.

Annoyed, I picked up one of the pillows off of my bed and chucked it across the room at him. The pillow projectile missed and he laughed, bowing out of the room. His laughter could still be heard half way down the hall.

As promised, Alice and Gil arrived at the appointed hour via floo powder. I greeted them in the foyer already prepared for our outing; picnic lunch packed, towels, chairs and other necessities ready to go.

"Hey, Rose" she greeted while dusting off the residual soot from her clothes only to almost fall over when her brother came stumbling through behind her.

Poor Gil coughed up a storm before he was even able to say something intelligible. "I hate travelling by floo." He grumbled.

"You don't like any sort of magical travel at all do you?" Alice teased.

"Yeah, well they all make you feel wonky!" Gil defended, "especially traveling by port key."

Alice shook her head and grimaced, "You aren't wrong about that. Port key travel always makes me queasy."

Her attention fell on me after that and she was positively beaming when she hugged me.

"Wow! Look at you! This is different." She said, gesturing to the outfit I was wearing.

Alice wasn't used to seeing me in anything that would constitute as 'girly'. She's constantly teasing me about having a boy's sense of style and how my cousins are a bad influence.

"Funny, Hugo said something about that earlier." I grinned and shrugged indifferently, "Um…thanks. It's just hot outside."

"It's nice." Alice assured me, emphasizing how much she liked the change.

I flushed feeling slightly embarrassed. I'm not really used to the compliments.

On cue, Hugo joined us with both dogs hot on his heels. It looked like he'd finally done something with his unruly hair and changed out of his pajamas.

"Hey, Alice, Gil" he greeted, "are we ready to go then?"

I nodded and we set off at a lazy pace down the path to the river. Even the dogs came along for the exercise.

It was the perfect summer day. The sun was a perfect bright sphere, high in the clear blue sky and not a sign of rain.

It was beautiful; the perfect summer day with the sun a bright hot sphere high in the clear blue sky, and not a sign of rain.

"This was a great idea, 'Ro" Alice said as we came upon the willow trees we were aiming for. It's a nice shady spot that we always come to in the summer.

One of the trees even has all of our names carved into it. It became sort of a Weasley tradition to carve our name and the year underneath the rest on the first time we're brought to the river. The year is so we can remember the first time we came and when we learned how to swim. Victoire's is the first name at the very top. Uncle Bill taught her how to swim here eighteen years ago, when she was just four years old. It's been about eleven years since Mum and Daddy taught me how to swim. I've loved it ever since. I have many fond memories of those years when Mum was just Mum and not the Minister of Magic. She used to smile and laugh a lot more back then.

"Last one into the water is a rotten egg!" Hugo called after we'd set up the aluminum chaises. He pulled off his t-shirt, tossing it onto one of the chairs before racing toward the shallow bank with Rom chasing after him. They were the first ones into the water and almost immediately, Hugo wanted to jump back out.

"It's freezing!" he complained loudly. He hadn't even gotten further than waist deep into the water and was glaring at it dubiously, arms wrapped around himself.

I laughed and called out to him, "Well, what did you expect, a heated pool?"

"Guess that makes you the rotten egg eh, mate?" Gil added, joining in on the laughter.

"Ha, ha, very funny, why don't you two come into the water and see for yourself?" Hugo called back.

"Sure," I called out to him. "I'm not afraid of a little cold water. Just let me get out of these clothes."

I pulled off my top and shimmied out of the capris I'd worn over my swimsuit. We set aside our clothes and the rest of us joined Hugo in the water. It was cold as promised, but the sun, swimming, and all of the splashing made it bearable. After a while we could hardly tell how cold it had been before. We spent a good deal of the afternoon horsing around in the water before we took a break for lunch.

After all of the food was gone Alice and I commandeered the chaises and moved them out of the shade for a little sun bathing. Hugo and Gil ended up back in the water. It was just us girls lying in the sun enjoying the afternoon without a care in the world.

"So what did you want to do today?" Alice asked after a while, shifting in her lounge chair to face me.

I was thoroughly basking in the sunlight, eyes hidden behind my sunglasses. This would be one of the few rare moments where I let myself relax. The frazzled Hogwarts student in me gets set in the back burner until we board the train back to school in September.

Grinning, I push the sunglasses up and shift towards Alice, "I was thinking we could have the afternoon to ourselves; ditch the little brothers and do some shopping in Diagon Alley. We still have quite a bit of daylight left. I don't think Freddie would mind taking them for a few hours, he loves showing off the new merchandise at the joke shop. We could go see your Mum, and that new boutique. Maybe even stop by Florean's…"

"Florean's," Alice repeated, her face brightening. I smirked at her knowing the reason behind it, which had nothing at all to do with ice cream. Andrew Fortescue, old man Florean's grandson, has been working at the ice cream shop for the past two summers and Alice harbors a huge crush on the older boy. Andrew also happens to be one of Louis' best friends.

"Yeah, are you game?"

"Of course!" she exclaimed.

"Brilliant!" I said, "Time to get going then, while there is still light out. I can't wait to check out the clothes and maybe get an outfit or two."

"Isn't that Rizzoli's place pricey?" Alice asked. "I heard from my Mum that they have really high quality clothes and the prices to match. She'd know too. Mum hears all sorts of gossip from around the Alley."

I nodded, "I'll bet it is, but I have some money saved. The class trip is coming up and we can't exactly take wizard robes. There will probably be a lot of sightseeing and too many Muggles around. We're not even allowed to bring our wands."

"Oh, I'll bet those Slytherins snobs are really going to enjoy that."

"I don't believe they'll fancy being without their wands for a week," I said with a laugh. "It should be fun to watch them flounder around the Muggles."

Alice laughed with me and got up from her lounge chair. It was time to go.

"What are we waiting for then? Let's go! There is no better way to spend the afternoon than shopping and getting some ice cream!"

"You bet!" I agreed with a grin.

"Boys, come on let's go! Get out of the water. We have to head back," Alice called.

I followed suit and started folding up our towels and packing up while Alice rounded up the boys. Once we'd finished getting all of our things together, we headed back toward the house...

I was thankful whatever good fortune we seemed to be having today. The perfect weather continued and admittedly I was having more fun than I thought I would during my stay at the Burrow. After we got back to the house we left all of the towels in the wash and put everything away before flooing to the Leaky Cauldron. Mrs. Longbottom was expecting us when we arrived.

She's a very kind faced woman with warm blue eyes and honey blond hair. She sort of reminds me of my Grandmum, but of course, much younger and sans the red hair. Alice's mum owns the Leaky Cauldron now ever since old Tom passed away. She's done a lovely job with the place. The shabby inn was completely renovated when she took ownership and now it has more of a warm and homey atmosphere. Business was doing quite well for the Longbottoms.

We didn't visit with Mrs. Longbottom for very long. With promises that we'd come back after we were done shopping we emerged into Diagon Alley through the secret wall entrance at the rear of the inn. The long cobblestone street of the alley was bustling as usual with a large crowd of witches and wizards. The four of us weaved through the throng of people attracting all sorts of strange looks and attention. I wasn't surprised considering we looked like a bunch of Muggle teenagers. I was too comfortable in my flip flops and capris to care. I didn't even bother doing much with my hair, the semi-dry curls were pulled back into a messy ponytail and that was it. If anything our outfits were far more sensible than robes given the current heat wave and the hot sun felt rather nice on my bare shoulders.

Our first stop was Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes located at number 93. The boys were ecstatic to be visiting Freddie and Uncle George. We dropped them off at the joke shop and then worked our way back to number 59 which used to be Terrortours, a really weird and dodgy travel agency that closed many years ago. The premises had been empty for quite some time until a few months ago, when Madam Rizzoli bought the space and turned it into an Italian boutique. Several other businesses from before the war had disappeared as well to make room for new ones just like Rizzoli's.

On the exterior, Rizzoli's appears to be a very small space, wedged between numbers 58 and 60. It looks out of place in the midst of the surrounding Wizarding shops, with its quite ordinary boutique style clothing displayed in the windows like something straight out of an Italian shopping strip or a Muggle fashion magazine. It isn't until you walk inside however, that you get the full effect. The store looks twice, maybe three times as large on the interior.

Alice and I walked in for the very first time since it opened. There were countless racks and shelves full every variety of clothes and colors that anyone could possibly think of. It all looked incredibly expensive. I was starting to have second thoughts about our little shopping expedition, but I figured it couldn't hurt to at least look around. Madam Rizzoli, a tall, curvy woman, with long wavy brunette hair, was eyeing us from her register at the checkout counter where she was ringing up a customer. The store didn't seem to be very busy at the moment so once she was through; she walked over to us and smiled.

"Buon giorno is there anything I could help you girls with?" she asked in a heavy Italian accent.

I flushed and looked to Alice for help. She shrugged at me, unsure of what to say either. "Honestly, I really don't even know where to start."

She actually seemed delighted with my answer. "Well, let's have a look shall we? I know I have dozen of things that would look wonderful with your lovely hair color. You listen to Madam Rizzoli, I will not steer you wrong. Fashion is how you say… my business!"

"O...okay"

I couldn't disagree. Madam Rizzoli is a beautiful woman with an incredible flair for style. Before I knew what I had agreed to, she was taking us through the entire shop, pulling things off of racks and piling them into our arms until we'd come around full circle to the dressing rooms.

"I want to see the pale gold top on you first; the one with the rosette trim," she said to me. "Wear it with the dark jeans I picked out for you. It will look amazing."

Then she turned to Alice and held up a teal, tunic top she had picked out to get an idea of how it would look. "Try this one on. It will bring out the green in your eyes."

We went to change; all the while I wondered how we were going to pay for everything. There was no way we had enough money between us to buy all of the clothes Madam Rizzoli had pulled off the rack and we still had other stops to make before the end of the day. I hadn't planned on spending all of my money in one place. I knew I probably afford an outfit or two at the most. Hopefully my lack of funds wouldn't hurt the shopkeeper's feelings or upset her.

I stepped out of the dressing room wearing the outfit she had suggested. It looked great except for the flip flops I was wearing which probably wouldn't go with anything in the store at all. Madam Rizzoli noticed this and shook her head.

"It needs something," she mused.

She had already turned away from me in search of whatever the 'something' might be and I resisted the urge to look at the price tags on my ensemble.

My eyes widened when she came back with a large shoe box.

"These are perfect for that outfit and you can wear them in the summer or winter. They are completely fashionable." She looked very pleased with herself when she opened the box and revealed a pair of black leather mid calf boots.

"Genuine leather," added Madam Rizzoli as she took one out of the box.

_And expensive,_ I thought to myself sure that the quality of the boots would reflect in the price.

"Go on, try them on. Size six should be just about the right for you."

She ushered me over to a small velvet upholstered settee and handed the first boot over to me. I undid the bindings, and the zipper, then tried it on.

_Of course it was a perfect fit._ The fact that she could guess my size was rather impressive.

The other boot was already being held out to me when I looked back up at her and I put that one on as well.

"Up, up, up!" she insisted. She made a motion for me to twirl around.

Obligingly I spun around modeling the new look for her. She guided me towards a mirror and pulled the hair tie out of my hair letting it fall to my shoulders. "Brava!" she said pleased. "You look perfect."

"Wow, Rose, you look like one of those models from a fashion magazine." Alice complimented when she come to join us by the full-length mirror. She was wearing the teal tunic and faded blue jeans.

"Thanks," I replied. My face went from white to red again with embarrassment. Then I unconsciously glanced at the price stamped on the box and my eyes widened again.

"This is all very nice, Madam Rizzoli. I'm just—"

"—Not sure that we can afford everything you've picked out for us," Alice finished for me. Apparently the two of us had been thinking the very same thing.

"This is true. I may have gotten a little carried away." she said sounding chagrined. "I have a proposition for you girls then. Rose, and Alice, is it? How would you like to work for me in the afternoons this summer? The shop is relatively new and I need a hand around here. You can wear some of the clothes while you are here. You two are exactly the kind of girls I need to model my clothes around the store. At the end of the day you can keep whatever clothes I have you wear and I'll pay you fairly at the end of each week as well. You would have to ask your parents if it is alright with them, of course."

"That sounds like fun!" Alice said and she nudged me meaningfully.

"Yeah, that's a great idea. We'll ask our parents," I added. Once again I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into, but Alice seemed so enthusiastic that I couldn't really say no. At least I wouldn't be bored.

"Lovely! Well go on then, try on a few things and I'll ring up whatever you decide to buy today. We should take some measurements of you girls to keep on record too...you'll need your school robes soon..."

As it turns out we spent at least another hour at Rizzoli's and walked out laden with packages. I was eighteen galleons, nine sickles, and fifteen knuts poorer than when I had walked in. I found that I didn't exactly regret. I liked the clothes that I bought. I may have over done it a bit with purchasing the leather boots but they would be useful for the winter. My old ones were getting worn out— at least that's what I told myself when I let Madam Rizzoli ring them up.

"So, where did you want to go next?" Alice asked as we walked down the alley aimlessly. We hadn't decided on our next stop.

"I want to go to the bookstore," I replied. "Flourish & Blotts is just up ahead."

Alice made a face. Perusing the bookstore didn't sound particularly appealing to her especially since she knows how prone I am to spending hours on end going through F & B's large selection.

"Well, why don't you go on ahead? I have to stop by the Magical Menagerie to pick up some owl treats for Fen. I'll meet you at Flourish in a few minutes."

"Sure," I agreed. I didn't mind splitting up. I wanted to take my time at the bookstore.

I reached into my pocket for some of the money I had left over and counted out enough for a package of owl treats. "Here," I said handing the money over to her. "Get a package of treats for Spade too for me."

She nodded and pocketed the money. "Okay, I won't be long. Have fun at the bookstore."

I continued on my way through the crowded, cobblestone street and ducked into my favorite shop. The store was much cooler inside than the sweltering heat I had just come from, but I hadn't escaped the crowd. I don't like crowds; never have, never will. I think I get a bit claustrophobic. The first floor of the building was full of parents and their children buying school books and it wasn't even the back to school rush.

Weaving my way around large book displays and people I got to the stairs and went up to the second floor. The noise level dropped considerably and there weren't as many shoppers, just a few stragglers that were not looking for school textbooks.

I was in my element, simply content to leisurely peruse F & B's collection of novels. Going through the aisle nearest to me, I found myself looking at defensive magic spell books skimming past the various titles until I found something that caught my interest. Unfortunately for me the book that ended up catching my interest, 'Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts', was on the very top shelf of the section I was in.

_Great,_ I thought. _Where is Louis, James, or Albus when I need them?_ Any of them would be tall enough to get the book for me with no trouble at all.

I bit my bottom lip and frowned. I didn't think I'd get any of the store clerks to help me while they were so busy with the customers on the first floor. It would take much too long just to find one of them in the midst of all the people below.

_Maybe if I could just stretch far enough…_

I stood on the tips of my toes stretching as far as I could but my fingers were just out of reach.

_Damn skyscraper bookshelves_, I muttered under my breath.

"You know, you are quite the ballerina."

The new voice pierced through the quiet of the second floor startling me and distracting me from the focus of my attention. I stumbled…

_What's the best book on your bookshelf?_


	3. HATE EVERY BEAUTIFUL DAY

_Harry Potter and related content belongs to J.K Rowling. I own nothing except for any __**new**__ characters that my creative little mind comes up with and Romulus the Labrador!_

**HATE EVERY BEAUTIFUL DAY**

"_Cause I hate every beautiful day_

_Faces in the crowd  
>Fake smiles for miles<em>

_My imitations wrong of them again  
>Trapped inside this cheap hotel<br>Bored as hell turing the channels 'round"_

_**Scorpius**_

The sun rose bringing with it another intolerably hot summer day which held no more promise than the day before it. I absolutely abhor the month of July. As a matter of fact I have a rather strong distaste for the summer holidays all together really. The sweltering heat and boredom can be a very poor combination for a teenage boy such as me. I don't do well with boredom. Never have.

So far I'd been stuck within the drab walls of my family's manor for two weeks, bored out of my wits with only the house elves for company. My parents were off on some frivolous holiday. I was old enough now that I could beg off of going without too much fuss. Spending my summer with them attending social function after function parading around as the perfect family did not sound appealing.

When they left a few nights ago I didn't even bother asking where they were going. There were no goodbyes, but I can't say that I was really broken up about it. To be quite frank I didn't care.

It wasn't often that I was given this amount of freedom and now that I had it I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with it. One would think that I'd relish in the fact that I had the manor all to myself, but really how much fun could it be when there was really nothing of interest to do.

After the second week of so much of the same I woke up in a mood and lay in bed staring at the ceiling contemplating what to do with myself. I could be cliché and have some sort of party tonight, but I really didn't want to deal with the ramifications. Parties could get awfully complicated and messy. Besides, I needed to get out of the manor and do something; anything at all.

The house elves were beginning to get on my very last nerve. If I had to hear one more 'young master Malfoy' early in the morning like some annoying wake up call, I was going to pack them all off with a bundle of clothes just to be rid of them. Unfortunately, I don't think my parents would thank me for it later.

Finally I settled on making a trip to Diagon Alley. Wandering around under the hot summer sun would not be the mist ideal way to spend my day, but at least it would offer some sort of distraction. With a little luck perhaps something of interest would come up. If the Alley proved to be a bust then I would pay my best friend Cody McAdams, a visit in Edinburgh.

Getting out of the house was essential at this point so I showered, threw on some semi-casual clothes, and did something presentable with my hair. The fireplace in the parlor is always connected to the floo network and I made my way downstairs to get there.

"Tala!" I called loudly before reaching for the jar of floo powder.

"Young Master?" the house elf inquired, appearing in front of me with an all too familiar pop.

"Tala" I said, "I'm going to be leaving shortly. I need you to keep the house in order. If my parents call in to check on me let them know I'm going to be spending time in Edinburgh with the McAdamses."

Tala bent her head in a bow, "No worrying, Sir, Tala will take care of everything. Shall we be expecting you for dinner?"

"No, I probably won't be home tonight." I replied.

With another nod the elf popped off again to wherever she'd been before I summoned her.

Tala is one of the more reliable elves in our house hold and I could count on her to keep order and relay a message if it was necessary. As much as the house elves could get on my nerves, I couldn't deny Tala's efficiency. I was confident in leaving her to take care of the manor while we are all away.

With my destination in mind I took some of the floo power from the jar on top of the mantel and was on my way.

The long cobbled street of Diagon Alley was a hub of activity as it always is at nearly any time of day during the summer months. I had only just moved into the traffic of people and already regretted making the trip. The crowded street and noise only made the heat that much more unbearable. I pressed on anyway, making my way toward the large, white marble building that houses Gringott's Bank; one of Diagon Alley's more permanent fixtures. I would pay the Malfoy vault a visit to replenish my funds first.

I was almost completely tapped out after the night back from Hogwarts. My cousin Damian had decided a full night of debauchery was in first order for the holiday break. Now _that_ had been a night to remember. There had been too much alcohol, several gorgeous girls to choose from, and absolutely no inhibitions. Not that my cousin has any inhibitions to start with. I could always count on him to make things interesting. What started off as a night of club hoping ended up becoming a monstrous party at Montague manor. I'm almost certain that people are still talking about it. The next morning, said manor was a complete disaster and Aunt Daphne had been so furious with us.

The trip to Gringott's went without incident even though the bloody goblins still manage to creep me out and the ride down to the vaults will make anyone queasy. Pocket full of galleons, I decided to deal with breakfast. There are a few café's located along the alley so I stopped at the first one I came to and ordered tea and a pastry. The waitress was pretty enough; a brunette with hazel eyes that looked to be about my age though I couldn't place her at Hogwarts. I was sure she wasn't a Slytherin at any rate and probably not in my year. We flirted back and forth anyway. It served to pass the time.

Once I paid my bill at the cafe I went on to visit one of my usual haunts; Quality Quidditch. I spent some time there, admiring the brooms and the latest equipment. The new Phantom Storm looked impressive enough to consider. I moved off to the display of protective equipment while debating the necessity of buying one of the newer racing models when I heard his voice; the one person more annoying than Potter himself. I couldn't help the wry smirk of amusement that curled my lips.

"Well, if it isn't Potter's tag along. Finally dug up enough of that Gryffindor courage to try out for the quidditch team?"

Westley Wood straightened from the shelf he was browsing and glowered at me. Wood is taller, and burlier than I am. He tends to use that to his advantage but it has never intimidated me. It's far too amusing to taunt him.

"I am not anyone's tag along, Mal…"

I chuckled, cutting him off, "Could have fooled me."

"James is my friend. Not that you would know anything about what a friend is."

"Oh, I know plenty about friendship. Question is when are you going to crawl out of Potter's shadow? Or do you just like being in his little fan club?"

"Fan club? Just bugger off, Malfoy. What do you know about anything?"

"I'm pretty sure I know more about _quidditch_ than you do. Maybe you should have Potter actually teach you the game. Or better yet why not have your dad teach you? Unless…your sister got all of the talent."

The look of consternation on Wood's face was priceless.

He opened his mouth to speak again, but I didn't give him an opening "It's alright, Wood. We can't all be born with natural talent."

Picking up the shin guards and fingerless gloves I'd been after I left him standing there looking completely at a loss for words. Satisfied, I went ahead to the till to pay for my items and gave instructions to have them shipped home. I even splurged on getting the new broom. It wasn't like my parents couldn't afford it anyway.

I still had no new direction in mind when I walked out of the supply store. I just shoved my hands in the pockets of my slacks and hid my grey eyes behind sunglasses before continuing to meander down the street, half hoping for something that would catch my attention while praying that I didn't attract any _unwanted_ attention to myself.

Being a Malfoy has its advantages and disadvantages. My surname comes with a fair amount of notoriety. People never seem to forgive and forget the sins of your past (_or the sins of your ancestors_), but money can go a long way towards keeping you on the top of the proverbial food chain. The very same people that will talk about you behind your back will smile and play nice with you in a social setting. Everyone wants something and it pays to make the right connections. I was in no mood to play nice and deal with the hypocrisy today.

Unfortunately luck was not with me.

"Malfoy!" a feminine voice called. I just barely heard her voice above the crowd but it was unmistakable; Georgina Pucey, a Slytherin girl a year ahead of me. Sighing inwardly, I rolled my eyes and reluctantly slowed my pace enough for her to catch up.

"Pucey," I greeted in what I hoped was an amicable tone once she joined me.

The brunette smiled, "Fancy catching up with you here in Diagon Alley today."

"I'm sure it's a pleasure." I quipped.

"Actually, it is a good thing I ran into you. Is Cody around here with you?"

"Contrary to popular belief, I am not Cody's keeper. So, no, I haven't even seen him today." I replied.

I had to repress the annoyance that was starting to seep into my voice. I knew the only reason Pucey even bothered to approach me was to inquire about my best friend, her unrequited crush. We're not exactly on the friendliest of terms. Though, I must admit, she does try her best to make the_ right_ friends in school.

She pouted, "Bugger, I was hoping he'd be here. I had something to ask him about. Would you mind—"

"I'm not his owl either, Pucey. It was good talking to you though. See you around."

Leaving her there in the crowd, I moved on to my own business. I didn't want to spend the rest of my afternoon playing nice with Georgina Pucey. I made a few more purchases; a new journal from Scribbulus Inks and some owl treats for my eagle owl, Lyra, at Eeylops. Eventually I ducked into Flourish and Blott's to get out of the heat. It seemed like a good idea up until I saw the crowd inside amassing around the various text book displays. I made a bee-line for the stairs and got up to the second level of the book store. As I expected I managed to escape the masses without incident. The noise level went down to just bearable. With a relieved sigh, I wandered down the first aisle of books I came to. None of the titles immediately grabbed my attention. The library back at the manor probably housed twice as many books to choose from if I was seriously interested in new literature.

Walking into Flourish and Blott's had gotten me out of the heat but it did nothing to cure the boredom. Resigned, I grabbed a book at random and claimed one of the many pouffes scattered around the store to sit and read. At least it was cooler inside of the store. I wasn't about to brave the oppressively hot sun again so soon. Lethargy set in only after a hand full of minutes of leafing through the book…

_What is your favorite thing to do on a hot summer day?_


	4. YOU CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD

_Harry Potter and related content belongs to J.K Rowling. I own nothing except for any __**new**__ characters that my creative little mind comes up with and Romulus the Labrador!_

**YOU CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD**

"_You caught me off guard  
>Now I'm running and screaming<br>_

_I feel like a hero and you are my heroine  
>Do you know that your love is the sweetest sin?"<em>

_**Previously on Revolutions… **_

"_You know, you are quite the ballerina."_

_The new voice pierced through the quiet of the second floor startling me and distracting me from the focus of my attention. I stumbled…_

_**Rose**_

When I felt his hands catch me, I was overwhelmed by the most bizarre sense of déjà vu.

"Well, this seems vaguely familiar." drawled the voice that startled me. The tone in the voice had a very amused quality to it.

My heart stuttered erratically. I knew that voice. I was just a little unwilling to turn and look for confirmation. More than that, I was completely and utterly mortified. Having a klutz attack in front of Scorpius Malfoy is completely unacceptable.

_Of all the people I could have possibly run into today..._

He set me to rights and while I was still a little reluctant to look at my 'savior' I'm not the type to consciously be rude to anyone. I forced myself to meet his gray eyes hoping that he wouldn't notice the color rising in my cheeks. I was already having enough trouble arranging my expression into something a little more stoic, and a little less embarrassed.

"Malfoy," I acknowledged with a curt nod in greeting. I had decided to try to be civil, hoping that Malfoy would play nice too. Being antagonized by Scorpius Malfoy had not been on my list of activities for that afternoon.

"Weasley," He gave a congenial little bow in salutation, and the corner of his lips curved into a smirk as he watched me, "ever the graceful one, I see. Lovely form and you were doing so well too."

My lips pressed into a thin line as I reigned in my temper. The sarcasm in his comment was not lost on me. 'Where on earth did he slither up from?' I wondered, 'Surely he hadn't been there a second ago, had he?'

Scorpius took notice of my shopping bags that I had dropped on the floor when I stumbled and nudged them with his foot. He still had that arrogant smirk on his face. "Well, well, well, doing a little shopping at Rizzoli's are we? Looks like you've got a bit of class in you after all."

"I don't think that where I shop is any of your business, Malfoy." I retorted.

I had no idea what he could possibly be doing in Flourish & Blotts so early on in the holidays. I do not harbor any doubts that Malfoy is, perhaps, my equal in the classroom; but I never thought of him as the type to read for leisure. People like Malfoy spend their summers basking in their free time or taking luxurious holiday trips to exotic places. It seemed out of character for him to be lurking about on the second floor of the bookstore when all of the texts books, if he was indeed here to shop for his school supplies, were down stairs in easily accessible displays.

_And yet here he was..._

"Of course it isn't. Just making an observation, that's all." He agreed, smiling benignly.

I took stock of his appearance surreptitiously; I don't think I've ever seen a Malfoy dressed in anything casual. Where were his pressed button up shirts and tailored trousers? He simply stood there, in a hunter green collared t-shirt, khaki trousers, and Doc Martens; with his slightly tousled hair swept back. Even his demeanor seemed unusually lax. As amazed as I was, I really shouldn't have been surprised. Malfoy has always been fickle and unpredictable. I had to grudgingly admit he looked good, not that I would ever admit that to him though. He certainly did not need the ego boost.

When he said nothing else, I decided to voice my previous curiosity. It was an innocent enough question, right?

"What brings you to Flourish & Blotts?" I asked and I couldn't help but add the jibe at the end, because I know he wouldn't have let it go either if the situation were reversed, "I mean, besides sneaking up on unsuspecting girls."

I eyed him critically as I waited for a response to come out of his mouth, which ended up leading to a very dangerous train of thought. The curve of his mouth was perfect, especially when he employed his trademark Malfoy smirk. I wondered in that moment just what it would look like if he smiled. I have never seen him genuinely smile before; the little amused smirk is as close as I've ever come to see. Appalled at myself, I clamped the lid shut on those thoughts before it got out of hand. I should not be thinking about his lips, his eyes... or any other part of him. Sometimes, I doubt my own sanity.

My eyes flickered back to the book that had caught my interest, effectively averting my gaze from his, but the novels on the shelf offered no distraction. Scorpius commands the sort of presence that demands one's full attention after all. I know that he has more than enough of Hogwarts' mindless female population fawning over him. Personally, I try to just ignore him, but he always finds a way to bait me into one of our verbal spars. Malfoy prides himself in knowing which buttons to press to provoke my temper.

"Well, I was indulging in taking a nap." he said motioning to a little corner at the end of the row of shelves. "Books always do make me drowsy."

I sighed. Clearly it was just going to be one of those days. Really, it shouldn't have been that surprising. I was actually starting to feel pretty silly for assuming that I could have a civil conversation with the blond git.

He looked toward the shelf I had been eying and asked a question of his own. "Looking for one you haven't read yet?"

"Obviously," I snapped, "What else did you think I would be doing at a bookstore? Unlike you, I don't take naps in public places."

"Oh... I don't know," he drawled, his tone bordering on patronizing, "Maybe you were just indulging in a good stretch."

I had to look up at him then, because to my misfortune he is at least a head taller than I am, and I took in his relaxed stance and the stormy gray eyes that were currently scrutinizing me. A look of confusion must have flitted across my face, because that is exactly how I felt, very confused. Why on Earth would Scorpius Malfoy be scrutinizing me so intently? It was kind of unnerving. I just could not seem to gage his mood correctly today. In the span of a handful of seconds I went from being completely irritated to being unsure of myself. I folded my arms across my chest and frowned again. Several questions crossed my mind as we stood there:

_I don't understand you._

_Why is it that you can unsettle me so much?_

_What are you thinking?_

_And why are you looking at me like...that?_

"What...do you want, Malfoy? Haven't you already filled your quota of being an irritating git for today?" Is what I actually said, smothering all of the questions that I truly burned to ask.

I couldn't work myself up enough to be irritated with him anymore, though by all rights I should have been angry. Scorpius has a way of just leaving me floundering for the right emotions. When I met his eyes again the expression on his face was...strange. There was something in his eyes I could not place. I never imagined that I would ever see him crack, even if it was just a tiny little fracture in his stoic mask. I could see that something about my question had ruffled him. He frowned at me; looking as though for the first time he was unsure of his response.

"...Want" he repeated, and then he was shaking his head, "nothing that you would give me willingly."

'_Nothing that I would give him willingly?'_

'_What the bloody hell had that been about?'_

I didn't have long to ponder on that very cryptic remark before he closed the space between us. I had finally managed to unsettle him somehow and it only left me with another puzzle to solve. Then suddenly he was so close that I couldn't even think straight.

"Which one did you want anyway?" he asked, reaching up to the tallest shelf, hand hovering over the general vicinity of the book in question.

"Forget it." I ground out.

I didn't wait for him to say anything else. I picked up my purchases, turned on my heel, and simply walked away. I no longer had any interest in the book and I certainly didn't care what Scorpius Malfoy thought of me. I'd had enough of him for one day. He was just so infuriatingly confusing and I wasn't exactly sure that I even wanted to try to figure him out.

I was in such a state that before I knew it I was down on the first floor and almost running right into Alice as she came through the door. Fortunately, she had seen me coming and caught me before we collided.

"Rose? What's the matter?" she asked while assessing the look on my face. Her eyes were full of concern for me and her hands still held me by the elbows.

"Nothing," I said, "let's just get out of here, okay? We'll go for that ice cream at Florean's."

Alice looked uncertain for a moment, but she didn't argue. She let me lead her out of the store and back out into the busy street without further questioning.

The familiar little tinkle of the doorbell at the ice cream parlor announced our presence and Andrew Fortescue looked up from behind the counter. He smiled and waved at us as we made our way to a corner booth. Once we were seated, Alice didn't wait any longer to grill me about what happened at Flourish and Blotts. I had known the questions would come, but I still couldn't help the frustrated groan that escaped me when I hid my face behind my hands.

"Rosie, what happened?"

"You don't want to know," I muttered, my voice sounding muffled.

"Rose," Alice said impatiently as she pulled my hands away to make me look at her. She wanted her answers and she was not leaving any room for argument.

"I ran into Malfoy." I said by way of explanation. That alone should have been enough to convey my displeasure. Alice, however, wanted details.

"At Flourish and Blotts?" she asked unnecessarily, but I nodded anyway. I needed to keep my hands busy so I snatched a straw from the dispenser in the middle of the table and started to shred the wrapper.

"Well, what did he want? I mean even for Malfoy, antagonizing you in the middle of a book store is a little much."

"How am I supposed to know the inner workings of his mind?" I groused. "When I asked him what he wanted, all he said was that it was nothing that I would give him willingly. Whatever the hell that means."

Alice raised an eyebrow and stared.

"Those were his words, not mine." I said in my defense. It wasn't like I was making this stuff up after all.

She blew out a breath and shook her head.

"The heat has addled his brain," She deliberated, "He's just trying to make you crazy, Rose. Don't pay him any mind."

I grinned at the 'addled his brain' remark and started to come out of my sour mood. "I guess that would explain why he was taking a nap in the middle of the bookstore."

"In the middle of the..." Alice couldn't even finish the sentence before she burst into laughter. "Honestly, Rose, where do you come up with this stuff?"

"I believe the real question would be; where does Malfoy come up with it?" I countered. I didn't add the fact that I actually believed that he had in fact decided to take a nap in an obscure corner of the Flourish and Blotts prior to our altercation.

"Where does Malfoy come up with what?" Andrew's voice came as he approached our booth with a large Neapolitan ice cream sundae and a couple of spoons.

Andy set the treat down on the table between us and then pulled a chair over from one of the other tables. He sat straddling the chair backwards, and joined our conversation much to Alice's delight. "That's on the house by the way." He added with a smile that made Alice's cheeks turn the loveliest shade of rouge.

"Taking a nap in the middle of a bookstore," I replied with a shrug, and won a laugh from him.

I grinned and raised one of the spoons in salute. "Thanks, Andy."

"No problem."

Andrew Fortescue is a nice guy and rather easy on the eyes too. He's tall, and probably a little broader around the shoulders than my cousin Louis, with a mop of unruly brown hair. As a matter of fact, Andrew and Lou look enough alike to pass as being distantly related. There are a few differences of course, like the fact that my cousin has blue eyes where as Andy's are green. Louis is blond and his face is slightly more angular too. If you were to hear them both speak you'd catch that Louis has a faint French accent that Andrew does not.

The boys, along with another Gryffindor boy named Keirnan Robinson, go back a long way. They've been attached at the hip like the three musketeers ever since Lou started going to Hogwarts. They have this plan to go into Auror training together once they graduate at the end of this coming term. It's kind of sad that this will be the last summer that we'll see Andrew working behind the counter here at Florean's. Andy has three sisters. Annabeth, the eldest of the Fortescue siblings, graduated in the same year with Victoire. They both entered the Healer training program at Saint Mungos. The two younger sisters, Constance and Naomi, are still students at Hogwarts. Constance is going into sixth year and Naomi will be in the fifth year with Alice and me. I could see Constance behind the counter now that Andrew was taking his break and she waved at me before turning her attention to a customer that had just walked in.

We dug into the ice cream, each taking a spoonful of our favorite flavor; strawberry for me and chocolate for Alice. After some prodding we resumed the conversation about Malfoy, filling Andrew in about the incident at Flourish and Blotts.

"Alice is right. Malfoy loves to play mind games. Don't let him get to you." Andrew said sagely. He, of course, wasn't fond of the Malfoy heir anymore than we are. It didn't help matters that everyone seems to buy into all of the house rivalry fodder. While Andrew agreed with Alice's assumption of Scorpius trying to play mind games with me, I was still puzzling over my conversation with the Slytherin boy. He really had gotten to me somehow.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the chance to ponder for long as the conversation quickly turned to a more banal topic. The easy conversation along with the ice cream, served to lighten my mood. I left my puzzling about Malfoy to simmer in the back burner of my mind for later as we talked about the upcoming class trip to Greece.

The rest of the afternoon was actually quite pleasant despite the fact that I hadn't been able to get any new reading material.

We talked a little more before Andrew excused himself and went back to work. Alice and I took that as our cue to head for home. Evening fell as we made the trek back to Uncle George's shop to collect our respective brothers, and then the four of us visited with Mrs. Longbottom at the Leaky Cauldron for a little before flooing back to The Burrow. I did not see Scorpius again.

My cousins; Molly and Lucy, were waiting for us when we got home. It was such a relief to see them. I thought it was going to take another week before they joined us. Their father was almost as bad as my mother sometimes, always tied up at the ministry. Molly and I could definitely relate though she firmly believed that parental absence had its advantages.

Molly flashed me her patented grin and drew me into a hug. "Freedom at last," She proclaimed.

"I don't know about freedom," I said with a laugh, "but this is as good as it gets."

"You have no idea of all the possibilities," Molly promised. "I'm just happy to get out of the house and away from dad."

She'd made the latter comment after Lucy left the room with the boys. Hugo had challenged Lucy to a game of wizard chess and Gil was supposed to play the victor. Alice, Molly and I had gone to our bedroom to talk; it was easy to let Molly's euphoric mood draw us in. We gossiped and related how our holidays had been thus far. Molly particularly lamented about not having been able to join us on the shopping trip. She was thrilled to hear that both Alice and I had been offered jobs to work at Rizzoli's after enthusiastically going through the new clothes in our shopping bags.

"Wow," she marveled at my new leather boots. "These are absolutely amazing, Rosie! Would you let me borrow them sometime?"

"Of course" I said.

Molly and I have always been able to share clothes. We are similarly built, including shoe size. Molly takes after the Weasley side of the family. She inherited the infamous Weasley red hair and light eyes, though she has a curvier frame rather than lanky. Her gorgeous long hair and freckles make her look even more exotic. I'd noticed that Molly had maybe gained an inch or two on me in the past year but I thought she could still fit into most of my clothes.

Molly was standing in front of a full length mirror that is hung in the closet holding one of my new blouses against her frame. She studied her reflection before turning back to us. "This is a good color for us." She commented offhandedly, implying that she would probably want to borrow the blouse too.

I noted the color and groaned before I could resist the urge to. _Green._ One of the Slytherin House colors.

She turned and raised an eyebrow at me. "What?" she asked. "Dark green really is a good color on you."

She held it out in front of me and beamed, "See, absolutely gorgeous. You are going to have all the boys chasing you this year."

I swatted her away and laughed. "Yeah, right, and I'll be hiding in the library. The books are much better company."

"They'll find you." Molly teased.

"Maybe, but in the mean time they'll have you two to distract them."

Alice snorted, "And just how am I supposed to distract anyone from you?"

"With your bubbly charm and good looks," I easily replied with a grin.

Alice shook her head, though she still seemed amused by the idea. "Have you looked at yourself in the mirror lately? I'm only ordinary in comparison. Blonds are a knut by the dozen."

"Come off it, Alice. I am not prettier than you are. And I don't think there is anything wrong with being ordinary, better ordinary than some super model on a magazine."

I nudged her playfully, and then we smiled at each other letting the subject drop. Molly was interested in how Alice and I spent our afternoon so we filled her in on the details while she continued trying on clothes. She immediately zeroed in, of course, on my altercation with Malfoy; the very subject I would much rather have avoided. Yet, again I was dragged into the same debate about the blond scorn in my life. The same questions I had before came to mind, but I still had no answers. I knew that I couldn't even voice my questions, it would just complicate things.

"Don't let him get to you." Molly advised just like the others. I nodded my agreement, but none of them had been there and seen the way he looked at me. They never noticed these things, the fleeting glances and the subtle flirting in our banter, the way I do.

We have never been able to completely ignore each other ever since I bumped into him on our train ride to Hogwarts in first year. We never became friends. Even at that age we knew it wouldn't be possible, but we are curious by nature. So we push, challenge and test each other's limits out of the simple perverse need to see what makes the other tick.

_But is that really all there was to it? Or was there something more hidden in subtext..._

Not wanting to entertain that train of thought any longer, I let Molly and Alice's conversation distract me.

We had dinner a little later in the evening than was usual. Gran had said that Uncle Percy and Aunt Audrey were joining us for dinner, but that they'd be running late. I could tell that having more of the family over for dinner made her especially happy. She'd been humming and bustling around the kitchen, making what was likely to be one of her son's favorite dishes. I liked seeing Gran this happy. Dinner was actually a rather pleasant affair in the end, a pleasant ending to an awkward day. I didn't even mind staying behind to help clean up though Gran had tried to shoo me away with the other girls.

There really wasn't much cleaning up to do just taking the dishes to the sink while Gran set them to wash with a flick of her wand. We sat at the kitchen table and lapsed into a comfortable silence while we watched the magic work; dishes being scrubbed, rinsed, dried and stacked into the open cabinet. I'm not quite sure why I stayed. I suppose I'd wanted the quiet company rather than to go upstairs and gossip as teen girls tend to do. I'd needed the reprieve, some time to gather my thoughts. Unfortunately, I didn't have as much time for daydreaming as I thought.

"Did you girls have a nice time in Diagon Alley today?" Gran had asked cutting into the quiet.

"We did," I confirmed. "I got some nice clothes at the boutique."

"That little Italian place that opened where Terror Tours used to be?" she asked.

"Yes, that would be the place. Madam Rizzoli is very nice. She offered me a job."

"A job? Why on Earth would you need a job at your —" she paused, "Rose, is everything alright at home?"

"Everything is fine. Why would there be something wrong?" I asked pretending to be oblivious. I knew that Gran probably had some inkling that things weren't exactly right with my parents, but I didn't want her to know that it had gotten bad enough for me to notice it. That would only worry her more. Kids are always supposed to be the last to figure things out.

"I don't know. I —" Gran faltered, "I just worry."

I bulled forward eager to change the subject, "I'm thinking of taking her up on it."

"Madam Rizzoli's job offer, I mean. I could use the extra spending money and it would be something useful for me to do over the holidays."

Gran seemed uncertain, "You are too young to be thinking about a job, Rose. There's still plenty of time before you have to even worry about things like that. Don't be so eager to grow up. Maybe you should talk to your Mum and Dad about it first."

"I don't think they'd mind." I said, "Besides, I'm fifteen. I think I'm old enough to handle a summer job. It's not my future career or anything."

"Rose..."

"I'm going to go get ready for bed." I interrupted with a note of finality, not bearing to look at her.

I had never been so abrupt or short tempered with my Grandmother before. I felt horrible for cutting her off but what had started out as an innocent conversation had turned into an uncomfortable one and it was bordering on becoming a patronizing lecture; one that I was not in the mood to listen to. I don't like being patronized. I stood and walked away without another word.

I showered, taking a little longer than I normally would to enjoy the privacy that the bathroom afforded me. I let the hot water run over me long after the soap had rinsed away. It felt relaxing and I had several minutes of uninterrupted time alone with my thoughts.

By the time I stepped out of the shower it looked like everyone had gone to bed. I'd towel dried, put my hair up in a clip, and gotten dressed in my pajamas before going out into the dim hallway. The house was quiet which suited me just fine. Molly was already asleep when I got into the room; another blessing because I wanted some privacy with my journal.

This journal was new. It smelled of fresh parchment and leather which seemed absolutely glorious to me. I have always loved the smell of a brand new book. I get a new journal every year and it is always the same one; brown leather with the imprint of a rose. This would be the fifth one in my collection. I retrieved my journal from its current hiding place and dug up a quill and some ink to write with. That night I wrote by wand light and kept things short.

_2, July 2021_

_It has been quite an interesting day; a lot of unexpected events… some welcomed and some… not so much. After running into Malfoy today, I think this summer might actually turn out to be a lot more than I bargained for but only time will tell. And of course…the million dollar question right now is – what exactly does Scorpius Malfoy want? _

_-RJW_

_What is your favorite ice cream flavor?_


	5. POSSIBILITIES

_Harry Potter and related content belongs to J.K Rowling. I own nothing except for any __**new**__ characters that my creative little mind comes up with and Romulus the Labrador!_

**POSSIBILITIES**

_**Scorpius**_

Admittedly wandering around Diagon Alley for an entire afternoon in the summer heat had not one of my brightest ideas. That particular endeavor was the product of complete and utter boredom. In my defense however, at least the trip was not a complete waste. Things did get interesting when I bumped into a certain red-headed Gryffindor. Watching the Weasley girl squirm is always entertaining. It made suffering through the sweltering heat and braving the crowds a little more bearable. Let it be known that I, Scorpius Malfoy, am not particularly fond of either of the aforementioned conditions.

It was after the healthy exchange of banter with the Weasley progeny that I felt like I had my fill of wandering around the wizarding shops. I still had no desire to go back home to Wiltshire, so I decided to go visit my best friend instead. Said best friend's home is in Edinburgh, Scotland, roughly about seven to eight hours away from London by car and close to five hours by train.(1) Traveling across country even by wizarding means is not easy for an underage Wizard but it is manageable. Of course, I wasn't exactly planning to take the scenic route.

I'm not old enough for apparition, but I've had my very own key to the McAdams estate right on the outskirts of Edinburgh for a while now. And by key I mean a very convenient little magical device called a port key which has the ability to deposit me right outside the grounds of the old manor house in a matter of seconds. It probably takes a lot longer to walk up to the main house than it does to use the key.(2)

The grounds are massive, with several hundred square feet of beautifully landscaped gardens, manicured lawns and hedges. The main house itself is situated where Edinburgh's coast offers a fantastic backdrop to the enormous towering castle-like manor.(3) Surprisingly enough, I'm told that this particular property is a far cry from the McAdams ancestral home in Glasgow. It must be something impressive to see.

Cody McAdams comes from two very old and prominent, pureblooded wizarding families; the McAdams on his father's side and the Saint Laurents on his mother's. As a great majority of the pure blood families have dwindled, these two are held in very high regard in the wizarding community.

At one time, the Malfoys had been counted as one of finest pure blood lines as well until my grandfather Lucius decided to flush our family's integrity down the toilet by aligning himself with one of the most evil dark wizards of all time. It took my father several years after the war to rebuild the Malfoy name to what it once had been.

When I first started making friends in Slytherin house, it is safe to say that my father was quite pleased when I befriended Cody. The fact that I befriended someone that he felt was up to my social standing was important to him. Father was very adamant that my friends come from respectable pureblood families. My friendship with the McAdams heir however, has nothing to do with blood status. As difficult as it may be for some people to believe, I've never cared much for social norms, status, or the resulting stigma that it all entails. It's all just a whole lot of pointless drama to me. Cody is a lot like me in that respect.

Unfortunately getting away from all of the aforementioned drama isn't easy when you are forcibly stuck in the middle of it. So Cody and I grin, bare it, and stay in the thick of things as befitting our statuses. Our families would have it no other way and it just keeps everyone happy all around.

We came to an understanding early on that being Slytherins and living in a nest full of snakes makes it difficult to trust a lot of our house mates. Oh, I have friends among those snakes. It would not due to come across as anti-social, but not one of these so called friends has my trust the way Cody does. He is the kind of guy you come to respect, which sometimes makes me wonder what landed him in Slytherin house in the first place. Then there are other moments that mark him for exactly who and what he is. You come to realize that it would be a big mistake to underestimate Cody Mcadams. He is a Slytherin through and through.

Cody is older than me by almost two years and is going into his sixth year in the upcoming school term. He is a prefect, and the captain of the Slytherin Quidditch Team. The icing on the proverbial cake is that Cody is the nephew of Hogwarts' current headmistress, Madam Fia Braley. As if his scholarly accomplishments weren't enough, Cody is also an amazingly talented musician. I happen to know about this musical talent because I'm a member of the band he put together. I alternate between playing second guitar and piano. It adds a certain cool factor to my otherwise useless piano lessons. Who knew that the lessons my mother insisted upon would actually come in handy after all? My friend just has this ingenious ability to turn absolutely anything into something useful which is awfully convenient at times.

Arriving at the McAdams manor, I made my way across the driveway and main courtyard up to the entrance. Just as I made it up the steps, the doors were thrown wide open and a petite blond figure stepped out onto the porch. A slow grin spread across my face.

"I thought it might be you." The petite blond said. "I heard the alarms from the port key wards go off again.(4) Damian got here a little while ago."

_Fantastic_... I thought wryly. Damian is here. I knew things could never be dull whenever my cousin was involved. The git has yet to disappoint me.

"Guilty." I said. "It's really nice to see you, Carrie."

"It's lovely to see you too. Come on in. The boys are in the studio."

Caroline McAdams has the typical Saint Laurent looks; sort of like a miniature version of her mother with bright blue eyes, high cheekbones, long waves of golden hair and a proportionally curvy figure. She's pretty and she certainly knows this. Caroline exudes this confidence and grace in the way she carries herself that is really attractive… or would be if she weren't my best friend's fourteen year old little sister. .

I followed her on through the foyer past family portraits and tasteful décor until we came to a stop at the foot of a spiraling stair case. We were about to start up the steps when I heard someone running down. I suddenly found myself with an arm full of a precocious little four year old; Cody's baby sister, Elle. I had just enough time to catch her when she launched herself into my arms from a few steps above us

"Scor!" the four year old exclaimed cheerfully.

A frown appeared on Caroline's face and deepened when little Elle planted a kiss on my cheek and wrapped her arms around my neck by all rights looking like she belonged there.

"Hullo, Little one." I greeted with a wide grin.

"Elle!" Caroline chided, clearly aghast with her younger sibling's boldness, "For heaven sakes, show some decorum."

To which Elle turned her head and promptly stuck her tongue out at her sister. "I'm only four! Just 'cause you want to be little miss perfect doesn't mean I have to be. "

"Cheeky brat"

"Witless ninny" Elle parried showing just how much of a cheeky brat she could be.

I had to grin at the exchange. The verbal spars between the McAdams sisters are always amusing; however let me set the record straight now. I am not particularly fond of children. I think I'd probably have a coronary if my parents ever decided to spawn another child. Perish the thought. Elle McAdams is a very rare case. The little brat actually managed to worm her way into my good graces with a fair amount of sassy wit and charm. To this day I still wonder how her scheming to get under my skin escaped my notice.

Throwing her hands up in defeat, Caroline tramped up the winding stairs in a huff of high hot temper.

Elle winked at me and grinned. "Pushing her buttons is so much fun," she declared.

"You do have a certain knack for it." I conceded.

"It is my mission in life. Too bad Mum discourages it." She admitted, feigning a long suffering sigh.

"And that, my saucy little princess, is why I adore you."

"Aw, you say the sweetest things to me, Scor," she told me while turning on the full charm of her blue eyes, complete with fluttering lashes.

I shook my head and chuckled, "Just don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to uphold."

She giggled.

"Come on then, Mr. Malfoy," she hedged, "let's go play with the big boys."

In contrast, Elle is pretty much on the opposite side of the spectrum from her sister. Elle's hair is darker, more of a medium brown rather than the Saint Laurent blond. Judging by how small she is, I expect that she'll never be nearly as tall as Caroline; though the jury is still out on that one. The little monster might surprise me with a growth spurt some day. The one thing they do share is their blue eyes, a trait that runs on both sides of the family tree. In all other respects, Elle is nothing like her reserved Ravenclaw sister. Where Caroline is prim and proper, the younger McAdams is loud and rambunctious. Caroline is intelligent, but she lacks the shrewdness and cunning that Elle possesses. Even at such a young age Elle displays her Slytherin qualities in spades. I would be willing to wager my personal Gringots account that she gets sorted into Slytherin in a few years when she attends Hogwarts.

I started up the stairs still toting Elle along for the ride when we heard a door slam somewhere on the second floor. Elle had a smirk of triumph plastered on her face as we passed the landing and continued up to the third. Elle McAdams: 1. Caroline McAdams: 0.

Cody's studio is every bit as extraordinary as the rest of the manor. Half of the space is solely dedicated to our band equipment: an assortment of guitars, bass, drums, high tech sound and recording equipment, and no less than two keyboards. The other half is like a small lounge, with the furniture arranged around the room's fireplace. The contemporary leather furnishings are all very sleek in an elegant black; quite different from the more traditional pieces found throughout the rest of the house. I have a particular fondness for the loveseat which I habitually claim as my own whenever I am spending time with Cody in the studio. There has been a fair amount of time invested in the entire set up of the room, especially with all the sound proofing wards and the magic it took to charm all of the equipment. The studio vibrates with magic; you can practically feel it when you walk in.

I knocked out of courtesy and then just walked right on in; setting Elle down on the plush carpet after I'd closed the door behind me. Now that I was on the other side of the wards I could hear Cody playing on one of the keyboards. He was perched on a stool in front of the equipment with several sheets of music laid out close by. I did not recognize the tune he was playing so it was safe to assume that he was working on a cover for a much older song. Cody has a strange taste for old muggle music ranging from classical to what he calls "alternative rock". I don't begrudge him this affinity mainly because the music actually sounds pretty good, sometimes even better than whatever modern thing is playing on the Wizarding Wireless. I don't even bother asking where any of the music the band plays comes from anymore. It's best if I just don't know.

I noticed my cousin once I walked further into the room. He had kicked off his shoes and was sprawled lazily on the leather couch looking like he owned the place. Damian also had several sheets of music scattered on the coffee table and another packet resting on his stomach. He looked bored and completely disinterested in any of the written notes, but the blond immediately perked up the moment he saw me.

"So you've finally decided to grace us with your presence." Damian drawled, smirking at me.

I raised an eyebrow, "I wasn't aware that my presence was required."

Damian snorted, "Maybe if you didn't disappear all the time you'd know what's going on."

"I'm sure I have you to enlighten me." I retorted, voice dripping with sarcasm as I crossed the room and picked up some of the sheet music that Damian had abandoned on the coffee table.

Elle followed me and we both sat on the unoccupied love seat, the latter kicking off her shoes and curling on up on the rest of space to watch us. I recognized some of the last notes on the page just as Cody finished playing them on the keyboard.

"Hey, Scor" he said once he was no longer preoccupied with the instruments.

"Hey, mate" I greeted.

Cody joined us by the lounging area and commandeered his arm chair. He looked...tired. I didn't call him on it though, if Cody had something to talk about it wouldn't be in front of Damian and I knew we certainly kept our fair share of secrets even from each other until we're ready to share them.

Damian, who was usually oblivious to anything not immediately pertaining to him, easily jump started the conversation. This time he wanted to shine the spot light on me. Damian Montague was up to something. I knew this even before he started speaking. A bored Damian never amounts to anything good.

"So where have you been all day?" he asked.

"Around" I answered vaguely. The less Damian knew the better.

"Intriguing," Damian said "I'll bet that little diary of yours would tell a different story."

"It's called a journal, and I doubt very much that it will be telling _you_ any stories. You'll just have to settle for the intrigue. Mysteries have a way of just making life that much more interesting don't you think?" I smirked at him.

He sat up and dumped his sheet music onto the coffee table with the rest, "Your vagueness isn't interesting in the least, cousin. Are you just going to answer everything with a question? That hardly seems fair."

"No one ever said that life was supposed to be fair, Day. Are you going to continue trying to interrogating me or can we move on with our lives?" I said offhandedly.

"You are no fun!" he said

I was about to say something else when Cody came to my defense in an attempt to defuse the oncoming argument, "Just leave it, Damian. He obviously doesn't want to talk about it."

Damian whirled on Cody while distinctly pointing at me, "He's been taking lessons from you hasn't he, McAdams? He's becoming a 'brooding pretty boy' just like you."

"What are you going on about, Day?" Cody asked, bewildered.

Cody has always remained unaware of his reputation for being the 'brooding pretty boy' of Slytherin house, or at least he pretends to. Claiming ignorance, however, still did not make Damian's assessment any less true. Cody can be a rather agreeable person, but he could just as well be completely blunt and tell you what he thinks of you whether you like what he has to say or not. He is not one to baby people which occasionally makes him come across as stand-offish. Cody never minces his words. The funny thing is that people like his blunt honesty. That combined with his usually reserved and mysterious nature bred his current reputation. It doesn't hurt that he has a band either. Girls like that.

"Just look at him," Damian persisted. "He's obviously pining over a girl."

"Oh, and you would just know all about that wouldn't you?"

"I call it as I see it. I don't have to experience such things to know what it looks like. I'm just...very perceptive. You forget, my dear Cody, that we have our pick of the lovely ladies at Hogwarts and elsewhere. I'm never lacking in choices, besides the summer is young and full of possibilities. There is no need to settle on just one."

"Yeah, I think I'd much rather explore my own possibilities. Thanks." Cody replied.

Damian was smirking again, "You know what your problem is? You are still stuck on that pretty little Gryffindor that you've been chasing after."

"Damian," Cody said warningly, "Leave Rory out of this discussion."

"Hey," I interrupted. "Who said that this had anything to do with a girl anyway?"

Damian jumped at that, "If it isn't about a girl then where do you keep disappearing to? Or wait; don't tell me...you've become a toss!"

"Very funny, Damian, yea, I've just suddenly changed my sexual preferences over night. That makes absolute sense of this whole conversation." I responded dryly.

Damian grinned triumphantly, "So, then you do admit that your secretiveness has in fact been about a girl!"

"I am not admitting to anything." I replied quickly, "Just stop pestering me. I'm sure you have more important things to do with your time besides mounting an inquisition on my life."

"True, but I'm still curious. You two can be so ridiculously boring that dragging any information out of you is like pulling teeth. Keep your secrets then. I have more exciting news anyway."

"Exciting news? What sort of exciting news?" I asked wearily.

"The sort that involves women, alcohol, and good music of course," Damian announced, "Gentlemen, we have been invited to the Riggio's birthday party."

I had almost forgotten that Elle was in the room until she spoke up, her little nose scrunched up in distaste, "that doesn't sound exciting at all. In fact you three are really boring. I think I'm going to go bother Caroline some more."

With that she unceremoniously slipped off the love seat and left the room. I watched her disappear down the hall before turning my attention back on Damian

_And so the plot thickens_. I thought wryly. I had known that my cousin was up to something from the very beginning.

"Ah, here we go. I knew this whole tirade about women was leading up to something." Cody said wisely voicing my thoughts. "Of course we wouldn't want to disappoint the lovely Riggio sisters now would we?"

"That's right. Mary is expecting me, and I sort of promised her that I'd bring Scorpius along for June."

"Are you setting me up, again?" I asked incredulously.

Damian shrugged, "That is entirely possible. Are you going to come?"

"I don't know... I ought to just leave you on your own for being such a pretentious and insufferable git." I told him.

"_Scor_" Damian protested with a look of utter disbelief washing over his smug features. I let my statement hang over his head a little longer before I finally smirked and relented.

"Alright, alright I'll go."

Cody laughed.

_After all, I shouldn't disappoint June._

After the whole birthday party thing was settled we got down to actually playing a practice run of Cody's new cover song. It went ok, though we cut the practice short so that Damian could go home to shower and change clothes.

Fortunately, I didn't have to go home. I spend so much time at the McAdams' manor, that they had given me my own guest room; a really nice space done up in light tones and sturdy oak furniture. I always have some extra clothes stashed in the guest room's heavy armoire just for this sort of occasion.

I walked in to find the sheets had already been turned down and there were fresh towels for me in the adjoining bathroom. A shower was exactly what I needed. I headed straight for the bathroom and stripped.

The steaming hot water was a welcomed relief. I stood under the spray of water for an extra few minutes just to let the heat work its magic. Once I was satisfied I stepped out of the shower and made use of the towels leaving one wrapped around my waist before going back into the bedroom to find something "party appropriate" to wear.

I didn't expect Caroline to be there waiting for me, but there she was sitting primly at the foot of the four poster bed. She turned when she heard the door to the bathroom open and her reaction was instantaneous. Caroline's face flushed pink and her jaw dropped in a very comically stunned expression as she realized the error in her boldness. She hadn't expected the lack of clothes even though I'm fairly sure she'd heard the water running.

My guess is that she assumed I had taken a change of clothes into the bathroom with me. I stayed by the door leaning against the frame and raised an eyebrow at her. Caroline averted her gaze, looking suitably embarrassed.

"Something you wanted to tell me?" I prompted after the awkward moment of silence.

She shifted uncomfortably, "I...um...yes...Cody and Damian wanted me to tell you that they were ready and waiting for you downstairs in the sitting room. I knocked but..."

Caroline trailed off but I didn't make her elaborate.

I nodded and ran a hand through my hair slicking it back, "Don't worry about it. Tell them I'll be right down."

Nodding mutely, Caroline started toward the bedroom door. She hesitated there for a moment as though she had something more to say, but thought better of it and hurried out of the room instead.

I wondered about that, but didn't pursue the matter. I still had to get dressed. I immediately ruled out anything completely formal. A birthday party setting didn't require anything as formal as a suit. It wouldn't be a black tie affair at any rate. I settled on something a little more casual; black trousers, a dark gray button up shirt. The Doc Martins that I had been wearing earlier completed the ensemble. I grabbed my spare coat from the wardrobe and was on my way.

Author's Notes

When I wrote this chapter I had no idea how far London, England and Edinburgh, Scotland are from each other. I did some research on the matter to give a realistic estimate (8 hrs by car, 5 by train). I got my information by looking it up on Google. Please forgive any inaccuracies!

I figured that the most believable way that Scorpius could get to Edinburgh from London is by port key since he is still underage to apparate. In the canon Harry Potter books (particularly in Goblet of Fire and Deathly Hallows) the port key is used several time for cross-country travel.

I have never been to Edinburgh! Please forgive me if the description I gave for the McAdams manor and grounds is not accurate. I tried to be a little vague because of my lack of knowledge.

I completely made up port key wards/alarms. This is not canon as I have not read of such a thing in the HP books, however it is feasible that wizarding homes would have wards for both apparition and port keys to let them know when a visitor has arrived.

_Journal or Diary?_


	6. NOT THAT INTO YOU

_Harry Potter and related content belongs to J.K Rowling. I own nothing except for any __**new**__ characters that my creative little mind comes up with and Romulus the Labrador!_

**NOT THAT INTO YOU**

_**Scorpius**_

The sun had just begun to set when we arrived near the Riggio's villa in Turin, Italy. Our little party of three was greeted by a pair of attendants that seem to have been designated the task of welcoming all of the guests and escorting them up to the main house. We followed one of the attendants down a narrow path toward house, none of us feeling very talkative around the stranger.

I took in the sites as we traveled. I've been to Italy a few times in my life, but Turin is new to me. My mother prefers the likes of Rome and Milan, the country's more popular tourist sites. Turin, however, has a charm all its own. Even from this obscure path we were traveling, we could see the Parco Del Valentino, the most beautiful and famous park in the city. Part of me wanted to stay behind and tour the city instead of waste time at another frivolous party. I've been to enough parties to last me an entire life time. Unfortunately, Cody and I were stuck being Damian's wing men for the night.

The Villa de Riggio is the family's summer home; they reside in Birmingham for the remainder of the year. While the family lives comfortably in England, it is obvious that they invested more on this property. The Turin house, of course, is slightly more impressive than their manor in Birmingham being nearly twice its size with a spectacular location by the park. The architecture alone is some of the most stunning I've ever seen, and the Riggio's villa was a masterful display with no expenses spared. They certainly could afford to be ostentatious here in their own country.

As darkness fell, the house seemed to come to life. The lights coming from the villa could have illuminated the entire city of Turin, or so it seemed to me. It was just that bright. The entire courtyard was aglow. Dozens of tiny lights twinkled amongst the acres of flower beds and hedges, like Hogwarts at Christmas minus the mounds of powdery white snow. Everything the light touched sparkled, shimmered, and gleamed.

The interior of the house is a stark contrast to beautiful grounds and exterior. The place is opulent and the picture of gross excess which was only made worse by the party décor. It seemed like nothing more than a childish display of wealth, something that my own family had been guilty of in the past. My mother was the one to turn things around when she married into the Malfoy family. She helped my father and grandmother, Narcissa, restore the family house and name to a more noble position. Malfoy manor is home now, not a musty oppressive castle.

As we move further into the house, Cody and I exchange a knowing look. I could tell we were both thinking the same thing. The villa is ridiculously gaudy, the work of some overpriced interior designer. Even though it appeared that more money had been poured into this house, it looked much more impersonal than the manor I'd visited in England. Mrs. Riggio's hands had not touched this place.

Our stop is in a large ballroom not far from the entry foyer. The atmosphere is subdued and the music light. I saw more of the attendants catering to guests clad in their black slacks and emerald vests. Having completed his task, our guide took our coats and left the three of us to our own devices.

Damian abandoned us the moment he spotted Mary Riggio. I can't say that I blame him. The birthday girl is classically gorgeous, big eyes the color of melted chocolate, long wavy blonde hair, curvy hips and long legs. The champagne colored, one shoulder sheath satin dress she wore perfectly flattered her hourglass figure. Despite all of Mary's favorable attributes, her appearance is only the tip of the iceberg. Mary is also as charming as she is beautiful. Her 100 watt smile can disarm any man she sets her eyes on. At that moment her sights were set on Damian who certainly wasn't about to complain.

Cody and I were left pick up a couple of drinks and mingle. I noticed that there were many more adults than I had initially expected. Apparently Mr. and Mrs. Riggio had decided to use their daughter's birthday party as an excuse to network with some of the other pureblood families. I really wasn't in the mood to be paraded around as my father's 'pride and joy' so I sincerely hoped that my parents were not on the guest list.

I was fortunate for a little while. Some of the more tolerable Slytherins; the Zabini sisters, as well as Nott, and Baddock were in attendance. Our little group was situated by an exit that appeared to spill out into a courtyard. I leaned against the wall by the door with my hands shoved into my pockets, only half paying attention to the conversation while keeping an eye out for my parents.

I was growing tired of the bloody elevator music and small talk when at long last June Riggio turned up with Georgina Pucey attached at her hip. June was just the distraction I needed; all of her sister's good looks and charm wrapped into a smaller, neater package. The only major differences between the sisters are June's green eyes and petite frame. She was absolutely flawless in the teal chiffon halter dress she was wearing; a flirty thing that brings out her eyes and hugs all of the right curves. Her golden locks were pulled back into one of those trendy up-dos.

"Scorpius, mio amore," she said, her Italian accent soft and sensual as she stood on the tips of her toes to kiss my cheek.

I smirked and kissed the back of her hand.

"Bella come sempre." I whispered back in her native tongue. Her cheeks colored prettily as she hooked her arm around mine.

"I'm so glad you came." Her voice was barely above a whisper, only for me to hear.

June turned her attention to the others then, greeting each in turn. More niceties were exchanged while Georgie left June to attach herself to Cody. I watched his face for a reaction, but he had his mask firmly in place. Cody doesn't give anything away unless you knew what to look for. I knew Georgina's attentions always made him uncomfortable. The poor girl is obsessed. Sometimes I even feel sorry for her because I know my best friend's interests lay elsewhere.

Georgie is attractive though not exactly what I would call my taste. She does have a few well placed curves, long russet colored hair and big blue eyes. Tonight, however she seemed to have put in some extra effort. The pale blue chiffon dress she wore suited her, as did the light make-up that looked to be something of June's design. Georgina looks more natural this way than with the excess amounts of dark make-up I've seen her wear.

I had my suspicions that I wasn't the only one Damian was trying to set up tonight. It looked like he had set Cody up as well, though I wasn't sure if he did it just to get into Mary's knickers or if it was just for his own amusement. Damian is quite capable of both.

I heard Hammond Nott sigh beside me, and I felt sorry for him too. The burly sixth year has always expressed an interest in Georgie but she is too obsessed with Cody to pay attention to anyone else. I stay out of the entire situation as a general rule. I already have more drama in my life than I care to handle without adding more.

"Well, boys and girls lets go join the real party. This is getting rather dull." June said after our idle chatter became too inane and boring to continue.

Georgina seemed to know where she was going and tugged Cody along in her wake, leading the rest of us away from the adults gathering. June and I brought up the rear, laughing about a joke Nott had just made about the last Quidditch game. I have to admit Hamm does have a way with the spectators. He was good at keeping everyone entertained.

The distraction almost made me walk right past my parents. I saw them talking to June's father right in the direction we were headed and cursed under my breath and hoping they still hadn't seen me yet.

"What is it?" June hissed at me.

I noticed that I'd stopped moving then, rooted to the spot unsure of what to do next. She seemed to follow my gaze and realized what the problem was before I managed an answer.

"Come on" she said, herding me back through the crowd in the direction we'd just come from, "there is another way."

Reaching for my hand, June took up a leisurely pace toward the patio exit we'd just abandoned a moment ago saying 'hello' to guests and waving as though we weren't trying to make a getaway.

By the time June had us out the door, she was giggling and I couldn't help but laugh with her.

"That was close" I told her once the laughter had died. We walked along the garden path still hand in hand, "I thought for sure that Mum saw me."

"I think they caught sight of Cody and that distracted them, but honestly why are you dodging your parents?" June asked.

I wasn't in the mood to be Dad's trophy son tonight." I confessed with a sigh.

"They had no idea you would be here" she stated. From the tone of her voice it wasn't a question. June realized I had not planned on attending Mary's birthday party.

"No, they didn't know. I, didn't know I was coming until today. Honestly, I wouldn't have come if Damian hadn't promised you and Mary that he'd bring me along. This really isn't my scene, June. I surely didn't want to be here with my parents."

We stopped at a brightly lit gazebo and sat down on the bench that looked like it had just been recently painted. June had brought us far enough away from the festivities that it was quiet, and the chances of being found were slim. I was grateful. I liked the quite better.

"I would have been disappointed if you didn't come" she said, "your parents can't be all that bad."

"You don't know my father." I replied with a scowl on my face, sounding bitter. "It doesn't matter though. I'm glad I came. This is nice; just the two of us."

"Better than a room full of people and loud music?" she asked with an amused smile.

"Loads better."

She nodded and we lapsed into silenced, watching the tiny lights wink in and out of existence. I wanted to stay, but I knew this moment wouldn't last long. June preferred the loud music. She wanted to dance.

We left our secret place and snuck back into the house, feeling like juvenile delinquents sneaking around at night against our parents' wishes. The thrill of the danger of getting caught was fun. Not that we'd be in any real trouble, but it was fun to pretend, and I did not want to be lectured by dad anyway.

Mary had set up a second ballroom at the other end of the Villa for the younger generation. The music was more contemporary and as promised it was quite loud. I could hear the heavy thrum of bass, guitars, and drums from the corridor as we approached. It was a night club inside all dim lights, heat, and moving bodies. The dance floor was packed with youth grinding and dancing to the music. Unlike the formal ballroom, this room was all about lighting and the pulsing music. The couples that weren't dancing were sitting at little tables making up the perimeter of the dance floor and sipping what were probably alcoholic beverages.

I had to grin, amazed that this was going on while all of their parents were under the same roof. Mary spotted us and waved from her perch on Damian's lap. Their table was directly in view of the door where she could see the guests come in and they could see her. A few of the seventh years were sitting with them looking rather inebriated already. Cody was there too looking rather uncomfortable with Pucey at his side.

Tugging me along, June made her way to her sister's table, looking like she was completely in her element.

"I was wondering where you'd disappeared to little sister." Mary said once we were close enough to hear.

June smirked as we sat down at the table, "We took a slight detour."

"A detour, huh?" Mary laughed and shook her head, "tell me Scorpius, how are you enjoying the party?"

"You certainly know how to throw a party, Mary. Happy Birthday" I said amiably. I didn't want to rain on the birthday girl's parade just because I wasn't in a celebratory mood. It really was a nice party, all things considered.

Mary smiled and nodded, flipping her hair flirtatiously before turning to Damian. She kissed his cheek and pulled him to his feet. "Come on let's dance."

Taking her sister's example, June held out her hand for me, and we followed the other pair to the dance floor.

The next few hours were spent drinking and dancing. We were never far from each other and always touching. The more the alcohol flowed the more bold June became, and I found that I really didn't mind.

Eventually, we found an opportunity to slip away from the party. I followed a giggling June up to her room. We were tugging at clothes the minute we got behind closed doors. Her nimble hands worked on the buttons of my shirt as I bent to kiss her.

Our clothes were easily discarded onto a pile on the floor until we were both down to our skivvies. There was no patience, only heat and skin on skin contact, bits of cotton and lace being the only barriers between us.

I was so caught up in the moment that I almost didn't realize just how utterly _wrong_ this was. Flashes of red hair, blue eyes…all I could see was _her_ in June's place as though she were haunting me. It isn't June I want. Even though it is June I am kissing and have lying beneath me, my thoughts were of someone else. This situation wasn't fair to anyone.

"June, I said breathlessly, pulling back from the kiss, "June, stop. We can't do this."

"I think we are quite capable" She disagreed, pulling me back.

I groaned and pulled away completely, rolling away from her on the large bed. "I _can't_"

She huffed, "can't or won't?"

"It doesn't make a difference." I replied warningly, "I'm not going to take advantage of you."

June made another tiny noise of exasperation, "its okay. I _want_ to. You aren't taking advantage of me."

I didn't look at her but I could feel her shifting on the bed as it dipped and suddenly she was straddling my waist.

"I want to." She repeated, and bent to kiss me.

I could have given into her right then, accepted what was right in front of me and forget the impossible. June and I have treaded on this very fine line many times before. She was doing things to me that very nearly broke my resolve.

I growled my frustration, and lifted her off of me with what little will power I had left.

"This is not okay, June."

Sitting up on the bed, she crossed her arms and frowned at me." You truly are something else."

"I suppose…" I replied, closing my eyes and pinching the bridge of my nose. I felt like a total arse.

Once again, I felt her scoot closer to me, but this time she curled against my side and pulled my hand away from my face, treading her fingers with mine.

She smiled wryly at me, "You know, I've never been turned down like this before."

I glanced at her and scoffed, "You make it sound like you do this often."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Don't be crass and insult me, Scorpius. I'm actually quite selective of my…conquests."

"I guess there is always a first for everything."

"It's another girl, isn't it?" June asked.

I didn't answer her, but I suppose that my silence was answer enough.

She laughed, delighted, "sweet Merlin, it _is _another girl!"

"And you are confident in that assumption?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, why do I even put up with you?" she said, "of course, I'm sure. Someone has finally managed to steal your heart, Mr. Heartbreaker. I really thought it couldn't be done. She must be very special."

"You don't know what you are talking about." I snapped, starting to get angry.

"I know exactly what I'm talking about." June disagreed, "Cody McAdams may be your best friend but so am I. I know you very well, Scorpius Malfoy. Just be careful. The good guys almost always get hurt and I don't want to see that happen to you."

I rolled my eyes at her, "Then I have absolutely nothing to worry about. I have never been the good guy."

"Don't be stupid." She chided, "You are an amazing boy, Scor. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Stop hiding behind all the masks and barriers you put up."

I sat up, jerking away from her abruptly. The fact that June knew me so well made me uncomfortable. Letting someone through my defenses wasn't something I did often. I quickly busied myself with putting my clothes back on and avoided looking at June even as I spoke.

"Getting a little philosophical on me now, Riggio? It must be the fire whiskey talking." I say as I pull on my shirt and start buttoning it back up.

"No," June sighed, walking over to button the last button on the shirt and adjusting the collar, "It's just friendly advice."

I helped her with the zipper of her dress, and she turned to kiss my cheek.

"I trust you can find your way back?" June asked.

I nodded and she started to leave, but not without a few more parting words as she reached the door, "Scorpius?"

I raised an eyebrow at her in response.

"I don't give up on my conquests easily."

She was gone in the next instant, leaving me dumbfounded.

"Duly noted" I muttered to the empty room and sighed.

I didn't feel going back to join the festivities after June left me. I sat at the foot of her bed, head bowed between my hands wondering just what in the hell was wrong with me. I'd just turned down June effing Riggio… in her own house. The girl is gorgeous; certainly with all the attributes I enjoy in the fairer sex. I've known her for several years; this wasn't a perfect stranger I was fooling around with. I could have easily given myself to teenage hormones. It wouldn't have been the first time. And yet…I didn't.

If I was honest with myself I already knew why I hadn't gone through with it. I didn't want June…not like _that _at any rate. I couldn't just use June in place of the girl I truly wanted. Thoughts of _her _come unbidden at the most inopportune moments.

I wished that I could banish those thoughts at least for one night. It would have been nice to forget with June. Things are far less complicated with the pretty Italian. I couldn't fathom why I was pushing someone right in front of me away for someone unattainable.

Sitting there feeling sorry for myself only served to annoy me so I stood finally and left the room, seeking the outdoors. I wanted some fresh air, and I need to clear my head.

I ended up on the balcony that overlooked the courtyard, watching the same lights I'd noticed when I first arrived. Music drifted up from within the house, but it wasn't the pulsing beat of Mary's private little get-together so it didn't really intrude on my already muddled thoughts.

I must have been in some kind of stupor because I never heard Cody when he joined me on the balcony some time later. He's like a damn ghost sometimes.

"You look like shit, mate."

I started at the sound of his voice suddenly next to me, and he smirked.

I glared.

"Here, I figure you could use one" He added in a placating tone, handing me a frosted bottle of butterbeer.

"Thanks." I muttered accepting the bottle with as much grace as I could muster in my current mood. "What are you doing here anyway? Weren't you and Georgie attached at the hip or something?"

He tipped his bottle in a salute and took a swing, then grimaced before answering my question, "Nathan showed up."

"Well _that_ certainly explains everything" I commiserated.

And it did. It is common knowledge, at least among the Slytherins, that Cody has no love for his half brother and the feelings are completely mutual. They have a long standing rivalry and an even longer sordid history. I knew better than to press for details.

"So, you ditched Pucey and figured I'd need a butterbeer?" I asked instead as we turned toward the scenery below while nursing our drinks.

"You forget how well I know you, mate." I could just hear the smugness in his voice, "And Georgie…well, she's just not really my type."

"True," I conceded, hoping to leave the subject at that.

_No such luck._

"Looks like I'm not the only one ditching a date though" Cody observed.

I sighed. "I like June, but I'm just not that into her. I didn't want to complicate things."

"And ditching her makes things less complicated?" he countered.

Cody smirked when I didn't answer. There was nothing I could say to that. "Alright, so, who is the girl?"

I whipped around to look at him with a stunned expression on my face, "bloody hell, not you too!"

He was still checking out the garden below when he shook his head, "No, not me _too._ The others don't count. They aren't your best mate."

"You think too highly of yourself, McAdams." I groused in mock seriousness.

Cody smirked again, the bastard, and I repressed the urge to groan in frustration.

"I only speak the truth. Now out with it Malfoy or I'll get Damian to badger it out of you and there is no telling what he'd do with the information."

I knew I couldn't skirt around Cody like I could with the others. He would make good on his threat of getting Damian to harass me so I figured the lesser evil was to just tell him now.

"There is a girl." I confessed. "Or was…but that isn't important anymore. It would never work out. She hates me."

"Oh, come on. Don't be so dramatic. It can't be as bad as all that."

"It is. I know when to admit defeat." I replied and downed the last of my bottle.

"Since when have you ever admitted defeat?" Cody pressed.

"The day she stumbled into my life," I muttered and then instantly regretted saying the words aloud.

He looked at me then, the realization setting in quicker than I had anticipated.

"If she's worth it," Cody said, "things have a way of working themselves out. You shouldn't just give up."

Then just like that, he dropped the subject. Cody was perfectly willing to leave well enough alone. He knew, of course he did. Sometimes I wonder if Cody knows me better than I know myself.

Finishing the last of his own bottle, he placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder, "Come on, mate, let's get out of here."

Leaving the party sounded like a good idea. I couldn't face June and the rest of them again tonight, but I couldn't help to think that Cody was only suggesting the idea for my sake.

"Are you sure?" I asked, "What about Day?"

Cody shrugged in response, "Damian knows his way home."

_Where do you dream of traveling to?_


End file.
